University of Victoria

Known as the ‘Russian Byron’, Mikhail Lermontov is revered for his radical interpretation of the Romantic antihero in A Hero of Our Time. He sought to fashion “a portrait built up from the vices of our whole generation” (Lermontov, preface), to create a character who would embody the spirit of the contemporary Russian man. In what would be his only prose work, Lermontov employs traits commonly associated with the Byronic hero as the basis for the character of his protagonist, Pechorin, such as…

Which Literary Classic is Better? The Time Machine and The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are two pieces of classic literature bound together by the Victorian age. While both stories have underlying themes about the struggle of man, both present them in different ways. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells, presents its struggle of man as a society where each class of peoples is against each other, being thoroughly influenced by politics of the time. Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case…

Charlotte Bronté ‘s Approach to Love and Equality With the Book “Jane Eyre” "Jane Eyre" is a book that mentions about England's Victorian Era, its social values, classes, roles of genders and one of the most important samples of Romanticism movement written in 1847 by Charlotte Bronté. Even though it has history over a century, it still protects popularity and its theatre, musical, movie, novel and child book versions are still being published. The author's perfect wording about the themes such…

Jane Austen’s novel pride and prejudice presented four married couples, non-of the couples are a like in their love story and personalities. In that era, women were concerned a lot about marriage and who to marry which was an important thing in women’s life because mostly the women’s financial stability is on men or husbands. Austen in the novel she presented several contrasting attitudes to marriage. Austin focused mainly on pride and prejudice which presents true love, while there was other…

Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. Mrs. Mallard is fighting oppression through not having the same rights as men in this period of the 1890s. Women didn’t have the right to vote while also having arranged marriages for which they can’t choose their own husbands. An analysis of “The Story of an Hour,” by Kate Chopin, uses the themes of death, freedom, and irony to show the struggles women faced in the 1890s. The first theme in “The Story of an Hour,”…

The Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde, ca. 1894 “Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about.” - Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan Oscar Wilde liked to write plays that pointed at the aristocracy and nouveau riche in a critical way, but of course, written in a funny way so that his work became satirical. Oscar Wilde was therefore a brilliant writer of comedies of manners, the entertainment form that satirizes the manners of a social class, in Wilde’s case, the high…

Have you ever thought about the 19th century? Well, the Victorian Era, named after Queen Victoria, is considered to be a time of great accomplishments and riches. Many of the great items from this era, like the clothes, food, and the privileges of being rich, are some things people sought out. However, not everyone got to experience the luxury of being rich and high class. One of the most accomplished minor art forms during the Victorian Era were their clothes. Over this time period many…

Victorian Era Do you know when the Victorian era was? According to “victorian-era.org” the Victorian era was in the United Kingdom during 1837-1901 and it was called the Victorian era because the queen during this era was Queen Victoria. (Victorian era Government) During this era working life, housing, sports, government, and fashion will be described during this essay. First of all, the working life of Victorian people was very harsh. Most jobs that they would work were very physical.…

Humans have a trend in which we only sacrifice at the most critical or important point, which helps reveal the what we value. This is showcased in the novel, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, when the author uses the protagonist, Jane Eyre, to showcase a theme of sacrifice and sometimes lack thereof regarding one’s moral principles in a Victorian society. Throughout the novel, Jane deliberately sacrifices her safety, stability, and emotional gratification, which highlights her character’s values…

Jack Worthing, A qualified young man remarked all over town. In the city he goes by the name Ernest while in the country he is known as Jack. His family history is a mystery, but his seriousness and honesty are clear. He proposes to the honorable lady Gwendolyn Fairfax and, through leading a double life, ultimately demonstrates his conformity to the Victorian ethical and social standards. Jack, same as other main characters in Wilde 's play, is a less realistic character and more of an…