Victorian England

Question 1

What was the aesthetic movement?

Answer 1

• “art for art’s sake”
• beauty became a goal in itself
• certain markers and codes for the aesthetic kind of beauty (sunflower, Japanese aesthetics)
• partially, also a critical impulse: a re-evaluation of the hand-crafted in opposition of the mass-produced
• value of labor of the craftsman
• critique of urban industrialism and materialism

Question 2

Facts about the Victorian Era

Answer 2

• corresponds roughly to the period of Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-1901)
• during her reign, the British Empire achieved its largest extension
• characterized by a class-based society, a growing number of people able to vote, a growing state of economy, and Britain’s status as the most powerful empire of the world
• Victorians made and appreciated developments in science, e.g. Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution
• Victorian gender ideology was premised on the doctrine of seperate spheres
• This ideology was influential throughout all classes
• With the earliest phases of industrialization by about 1840, the British economy expanded
• Victorian performance and print culture were rich and varied, a blend of melodrama, spectacle and morality

Question 3

What is a melodrama?

Answer 3

• a dramatic work wherein the plot, which is typically sensational and designed to appeal strongly to the emotions, takes precedence over detailed characterization
• Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue, which is often bombastic or excessively sentimental, rather than action
• Characters are often simply drawn and may appear stereotyped
• Melodramas are typically set in the private sphere of the home, and focus on morality and family issues, love, and marriage, often with challenges from an outside source, such as a “temptress”, a scoundrel, or an aristocratic villain

Question 4

What is the “fin de siècle”?

Answer 4

• “end of century” (French)
• a term which typically encompasses both the meaning of the similar English idiom turn of the century and also makes reference to the closing of one era and onset of another
• term is typically used to refer to the end of the 19th century
• This period was widely thought to be a period of degeneracy, but at the same time a period of hope for a new beginning
• The “spirit” of fin de siècle often refers to the cultural hallmarks that were recognized as prominent in the 1880s and 1890s, including ennui, cynicism, pessimism, and a widespread belief that civilization leads to decadence

Question 5

Victorian values

Answer 5

• moral rigidity
• woman as “the angel in the house”, men the provider
• strong work ethics
• duty to work, family, the nation
• growing social consciousness
• culture of chastity and mourning: Victoria herself was a widow most of her life

Question 6

Dandy

Answer 6

A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of self.

A dandy could be a self-made man who strove to imitate an aristocratic lifestyle despite coming from a middle-class background, especially in late 18th- and early 19th-century Britain.

Question 7

Decadence

Answer 7

The word decadence, which at first meant simply “decline” in an abstract sense, is now most often used to refer to a perceived decay in standards, morals, dignity, religious faith, honor, discipline, or skill at governing among the members of the elite of a very large social structure, such as an empire or nation state. By extension, it may refer to a decline in art, literature, science, technology, and work ethics, or (very loosely) to self-indulgent behavior.

In literature, the Decadent movement praised artifice over nature and sophistication over simplicity, defying contemporary discourses of decline by embracing subjects and styles that their critics considered morbid and over-refined.

Question 8

New Woman

Answer 8

The New Woman was a feminist ideal that emerged in the late 19th century and had a profound influence on feminism well into the 20th century. In 1894, Irish writer Sarah Grand used the term “new woman” in an influential article, to refer to independent women seeking radical change, and in response the English writer ‘Ouida’ (Maria Louisa Rame) used the term as the title of a follow-up article. The term was further popularized by British-American writer Henry James, who used it to describe the growth in the number of feminist, educated, independent career women in Europe and the United States. Independence was not simply a matter of the mind: it also involved physical changes in activity and dress, as activities such as bicycling expanded women’s ability to engage with a broader more active world.

The New Woman pushed the limits set by a male-dominated society, especially as modeled in the plays of Norwegian Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906).