Victorian Era

The Victorian Era’s attitude and ways of thinking are seen to be reflected of a study of their texts and fictional characters, allowing responders to gain a greater insight in the 19th century context. The religious, economical and philosophical paradigms are utilised to aid in the exploration of the context. In Browning’s poetry, Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South, Lord Alfred Tennyson’s poem The Beggar Maid and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, contextual values such as censorship, class structure and patriarchal values are identified and explored. This allows responders to develop a greater appreciation of the previous social and literary context of the 19th century ways of thinking.
The Victorian Era is prominent for its acts of censorship following strong religious beliefs regarding appropriate sexual behaviour. Censorship arose in response to the Romantic era where composers often drew on human sensuality and emotions. This threatened the religious idea that a woman’s virginity could be affected by the exposure of sexual materials. As such, the Comstock Act 1873 was introduced in America to make any “lewd, obscene or lascivious matter...of indecent character illegal”. This allows responders to gain an insight of this enforced religious paradigm. The focus of the Victorian Era upon religion is shown in North and South. Mrs Hale is seen to have turned to God to remedy her sickness as she was “on her knees...evidently prayer for strength”. This implies that religion was a central concern in society. Furthermore, the move to Milton triggered Mr Hale’s doubts in religion also demonstrates the importance of religion in society. By moving away from his hometown so no one “can ever talk about me [him]” and isolate him due to his uncertainties in religion, it illustrates the heavy influence and power religion had over the lives of people. Thus it can be inferred that religion was a large significance of society as it had major affects on the lives if people during the...