Victorian literature

accepted behavioral norms are for a certain group, not everyone complies to these standards. He uses this theme to make a profound statement in regard to his lack of conformity to gender ideals as depicted by the Victorian era, through the use of reversed gender roles. Stereotypically, Victorian ideals stated that women were to be kind and nurturing, and the men were to be strong, stoic and dominant. These roles are reversed in Great Expectations, exemplified by Mrs. Joe’s cold-hearted,…

A Pretty Face The Victorian era’s heavily influential patriarchal standpoint became the basis of the misogyny seen during this time. Men would often regard the women as nothing more than second class citizens and even as their own property- these views only attributed to the sentiments and feelings they had towards them. If ever women should seek a voice in that society men would take immediate action to force them into uncomfortable situations as they did not perceive women as actually…

realism the propelling conflict of her herorines’ personalities” (62). Thus, Brontë uses Jane’s reflection in the mirror as a representation of her inner conflict: she is torn between the idea of being freed from her oppression and the realism of Victorian society in which she…

characters’ similarity causes a misunderstanding that only the audience is aware of, leading the complication of the plot. In this manner, Wilde satirizes Victorian society which has certain expectations people all follow. Since the similar actions evokes the comedic mood of the play, Wilde effectively makes fun of the uniformity of Victorian society and its…

Kate Chopin is considered one of the first feminist writers of the twentieth century; she used literary realism for addressing issues of race, gender, colonialism, slavery, etc. We see her feminist approach in her portraying of women’s realities in the south and how their lack of independence and freedom affect their lives. In the other hand, Henry James is also realist in style, but he depicts reality from an objective impartial position, his personages are portrayed as a mirror. In his novel…

personal best so they will have a stamp of approval from society. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson and The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde this is seen clearly in both sets of works. During the Victorian era, social status was very important and determined who you were in society, it was paramount to be in the upper class of society. However, many individuals lived dual lives at the time hiding who they really were behind closed doors and…

Both novels, Mary Reilly by Valerie Martin and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Stevenson were written in the end of the Victorian era. Gender is a big factor in both of the books and how women were seen in the Victorian era. Stevenson’s book does not mention women very often and when he does they are referred to as ambiguous. Martin’s novel is written in a female perspective and how the poor and the rich are in different levels of society. There are many comparisons and…

place in society. This dilemma is very similar to what women in the Victorian era faced. This era was a time in which society was dominated by males and social class rankings. Emily Brontë effectively conveys her feminist way of thinking and explains what women went through during the Victorian era in her novel, Wuthering Heights. Brontë uses the main character, Catherine, to reveal the unjust treatment of women during the Victorian era by portraying the lack of women 's rights, deficiencies in…

true in the case of the rise of feminism. Before the turn of the century, “Women arrived, en masse, [to the Western frontier], and the ‘male-dominated homosocial world of gold rush California’ gave way to a ‘settled domestic Victorian discipline’” (Hoefer 49). That ‘Victorian discipline’ gave way in the 1920s to a deviant social norm, exemplified by Carmen and to a lesser extent Vivian. Right before Marlowe expresses how much he dislikes the rich, he gives this reason for it: “A pretty, spoiled…

Oscar Wilde 's The Picture of Dorian Gray, is a story almost solely infused with the Victorian era 's obsession with appearances. Epigrams pierce through this shallow pool of perfection and offer slight glimmers of the harsh reality behind this vanity. Lord Henry, the main source of epigrams, acts as a magnifying glass for the Victorian culture 's deep and dark problems lying just below the calm, mellow surface. Many of Wilde 's epigrams concentrate on the morality of how one deals with one 's…