The New Era

During the Victorian period amongst many issues human sexuality, gender, and religion was heavily debated. Human sexuality is an element that has been evolving since the beginning of the nineteenth century. Sexual preference is one of the most criticized matters in society; moreover, to speak of sex is often taboo. These opinions are comparatively due to old teachings of religion. Although human sexual preference has become more accepted and published; however, during the Victorian period,…

The Flame of The Pure Life “You almost make me say you are an unapprehending peasant woman, who have never been initiated into the proportions of social things. You don’t know what you say.” “I am only a peasant by position, not by nature.” – Hardy, “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” Not just a daring woman, but as a strong, pure and unique individual with her own complexity, Tess stands tall against the constraints which encompasses contemporary people, culture, and society in the story. The…

As a consequence of Industrialization and modernization, from a sociological perspective there is a vast change observed in families and personal relationships which ultimately leads to de-traditionalization and individualism in social life. Some presented a pessimistic view on these changes that is the breaking down of traditional customs and culture can disintegrate the moral framework, while some others focused on the positive potential that come up suggesting greater diversity in…

Thomas Hardy is one of the most renowned poets and novelists in English literature history. Hardy’s career spanned through the Victoriana and the Modern Eras. During his eight-eight years of life he lived through many upheavals, such as World War One. He was often criticized for his work because of its existentially bleak outlook and sexual themes. Hardy wrote fourteen novels and several poems through the course of twenty-six years. Hardy’s great novels, included Tess of the D’Ubervilles…

People living in the Victorian era are often thought of as individuals who lived under the pressure of the period’s values, and this was reflected on the concern of what was ‘good’ and ‘bad’ (or in other words, ‘evil’) that was represented in the literature produced at that time. Good could be defined as ‘having in a large or adequate degree the qualities or properties desirable in something of the specified kind; of high or acceptable quality, standard, or level’, whereas evil would be ‘the…

During the Victorian Era, “survival of the fittest” was a common figure of speech. Based on Darwin’s theory of evolution, it was used to describe the survival pattern of humans during this time period. This term was used to describe the survival of the middle and upper class during the Victorian era while the lower class lived in extreme poverty causing many to die. In this description, the “fittest” humans would appear to be those within the upper class. In reality, however, the “fittest”…

The significance of the connection between gender, emotions and normative ideals can be seen throughout nineteenth century British Literature. Ones gender is thought to determine emotional behaviour, as during this period emotions were accustomed by the influence of Society and power, despite both men and women sharing the same emotions (Hansen, Norberg 441). The Victorian period can be particularly associated with the roles and characteristics of men and women becoming more discrete which…

Bennets. The Bennets were not poor, but they were not wealthy and stood in a position to lose their home to a relative, Mr. Collins. Society is organized according to where one falls on the social ladder. The three major social classes in the Victorian Era are: upper, middle and lower. These classes constantly changed, and the lower classes always tried to climb the social ladder. Climbing the social ladder was not an easy thing to do. The barriers between the classes were distinctive. In…

To implement or promote change within a society is difficult considering that the majority of people would have to agree with the reforms. Therefore, Charles Dickens composed the novel Great Expectations in a way that every person received a different message from the it, since there was an immense disparity between the social classes. The upper class holds an apocryphal sense of elation within their money. While, the content, jovial lower class prosper through their affectionate relationships…

Ally Condie's Matched is a novel with the focus on Cassia Reyes, a young girl who lives in a futuristic world governed by a faction entitled The Society. The plot opens with seventeen-year-olds from across the nation, including the protagonist Cassia, traveling to City hall in order to be matched. Matching is a process in which individuals are paired with their future spouse based on predictions made by the Society to ensure a perfect marriage and healthy offspring. However, Cassia discovers…