Social class and values in the Victorian Era
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Transcript of Social class and values in the Victorian Era
THE VICTORIAN ERAvalues and social class system
Queen Victoria
• 1838: crowned Queen when eighteen years old
• succeeded William IV
• but until birth of first daughter in 1840 Ernest August I of Hannover was king
• married prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha when 20 years old
• gave birth to nine children• arranged the marriages of children
and grandchildren ‘the grandmother of Europe’
• mourned very long for husband
→ pro-republic movement gained popularity• golden and
diamond jubilees
• lived frugal and prudish life - compensate for her uncle’s lifestyle - raised following the Kensington system
→ “Victorian” = like Victoria did
Victorian values
• not talking about sex • punishing crime severely • living by strict social rules → only for one group of society
general
• beach - special cubicles to change and put on bathing suit - separate beach for men and women
nudity
• very rude to show arms and legs• Queen Victoria collected male
nudes
nudity
• emotions and sexual feelings: in the ‘language of flowers’
• explicit erotica in personal letters and even newspapers
sexual feelings
• sex before marriage = taboo- many pregnant brides
- limited physical contact with fiancé
• prostitution flourished
sexual feelings
• supposed to keep the whole household running
• unmarried women: socializing in spare time
• worst thing: death of father or husband
→ poor women: factory work, governess or prostitution → rich women: no inheritance
women
• supposed to be raised very strictly • had to work long shifts and do
dirty jobs → Oliver Twist
• less important persons
children
Social class system
• wealthy families at court• no need to work:
inherited fortune• best education• Royal Class
Upper Class
• largest class• benefitted the most from Industrial
Revolution• Upper Middle Class and Lower Middle Class
Middle Class
• Upper Working Class = skilled labour
• Lower Working Class = unskilled labour
• hostile to other classes• affected the worst by
immigration
Working Class
• the “sunken people”• homeless, unskilled and ill
Underclass
“We are not amused”