The Victorian Period 英国文学·维多利亚时代.ppt

The Victorian Period 英国文学·维多利亚时代 Chapter 5 The Victorian Period Background Information Changes in Society Changes in Politics Changes in Science Technology Changes in Ideology Changes in Politics Political power passed from the decaying aristocrats into the hands of the middle-class industrial capitalists. →As a result, from the 30’s of 19th century, the struggle between the workers and capitalists became the fundamental contradiction in England. A new class, the proletariat, emerged. While England had reached its highest point of development as a world power, the poor living and working conditions of workers led to the Chartist Movement (宪章运功), which was the first mass movement of the English working class and the early sign of the awakening of the poor, oppressed people. Changes in Science and Technology Scientific discoveries and technological inventions made England the “workshop of the world”. (railway, steamship, spinning looms, printing machine, etc) →With Industrial Revolution in full swing, England accumulated large amounts of profit and settled down to a time of prosperity and relative stability. The middle-class life of the time was characterized by prosperity, respectability（体面）, and material progress.People as a whole celebrated a national spirit of earnestness（认真）, respectability, modesty and domesticity.→Common sense and moral propriety（得体） became the predominant concern in literary works. Changes in Ideology Religious collision The widespread of Utilitarianism(功利主义) Religious collision It started from the early 19th century and was caused by the rapid development of science and technology, new inventions and discoveries. Evolutionary science shook the theoretical basis of the traditional faith. (Darwin’s The Origin of Species The Descent of Man) People’s religious doubts and anxieties were increased. Utilitarianism The belief that everything should be tested by the extent to which it could promote the material happiness. It was welcomed