Lesson 14: Victorian Age I – Dickens & Tennyson

When did the Victorian Era take place?

1830–1901, during the reign of Queen Victoria.

Into which three periods is the Victorian Era usually divided?

• Early Victorian (1830–1848): uncertainty, social problems

• Mid Victorian (1848–1870): prosperity and optimism

• Late Victorian (1870–1901): decay, melancholy, social criticism

Why is Queen Victoria's death (1901) important?

It marks the end of the Victorian Era and contributes to a growing sense of loss that influenced Modernism.

What major economic change characterized Victorian society?

The shift from a rural to an urban industrial economy.

How did scientific discoveries affect Victorian society?

Geology and astronomy made people question humanity's place in the universe and challenged religious certainty.

What did Benjamin Disraeli mean by "Two Nations"?

The rich and poor seemed to live in completely separate worlds despite living in the same country.

Chartists and Suffragettes

• Chartists : Reformers who campaigned for voting rights for working-class men.

• Suffragettes : Activists who fought for women's voting rights.

Which Victorian values were embodied by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert?

• Earnestness

• Moral responsibility

• Domesticity

• Respectability

Why did novels become the dominant Victorian genre?

Rising literacy rates and serialization made novels widely accessible.

Serializations encouraged cliffhangers and memorable characters to keep readers interested.

What was a "three-decker" novel?

A typical Victorian novel published in three volumes that aimed both to entertain and instruct.

Charles Dickens (1812–1870)

How did Dickens's childhood influence his novels?

It created a lifelong concern with poverty, child labour, and social injustice.

Charles Dickens (1812–1870)

What are key characteristics of Dickens's novels?

• Serialization

• Social criticism

• Vivid characters

• Gothic and grotesque elements

• Moral reform and redemption

Christmas Carol (1843)

What is the plot of A Christmas Carol?

• Miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future

• leading him to change into a generous and compassionate man.

• Central theme : Moral redemption.

Christmas Carol (1843)

Why is A Christmas Carol historically important?

It helped shape modern Christmas traditions.

Christmas Carol (1843)

What literary technique is used in "Marley was dead, to begin with"?

In medias res (starting in the middle of events).

Christmas Carol (1843)

What is the significance of "Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change"?

It foreshadows Scrooge's personal change.

Characterisation of Scrooge

How is Scrooge initially characterized?

Miserly, selfish, cold, isolated, and morally corrupt.

Characterisation of Scrooge

Why is Scrooge called a "sinner"?

It introduces the Christian idea that even sinners can be redeemed.

What does Scrooge mean by "decrease the surplus population"?

• He cruelly suggests that poor people are better off dead

• Later the ghost uses this against him : forcing to confront his cruelty

What is sentimentalism?

A literary strategy that creates sympathy and emotional identification with suffering.

eg Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol

Disraeli's "Two Nations"

How does Dickens illustrate Disraeli's idea of "Two Nations"?

By contrasting wealthy Christmas shoppers with poor families struggling to eat.

Disraeli's "Two Nations"

How does Christmas function symbolically in the novella?

It temporarily unites rich and poor as fellow human beings.

Who was Alfred Tennyson?

The most famous Victorian poet and Poet Laureate of Britain.

Poet Laureate : The official poet of the nation.

What was Tennyson especially known for stylistically?

Musical language and sound effects.

Which historical event inspired The Charge of the Light Brigade?

The Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War.

Around 600 cavalry soldiers charged into enemy fire because of a mistaken order.

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1854)

Why did Tennyson write the poem?

He was shocked by newspaper reports of the disaster.

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1854)

What happens in the poem?

Soldiers obey orders, charge into danger, suffer enormous losses, and become symbols of heroic sacrifice.

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1854)

What are the central themes of the poem?

• Heroism (leads to death instead of victory)

• Sacrifice

• Duty

• Obedience

• Death

• Memorialization

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1854)

How does the rhythm mimic the content?

The galloping rhythm imitates horse hooves.

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1854)

What is the effect of "Half a league, half a league, half a league onward"?

It creates movement and urgency.

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1854)

What is anaphora?

Repetition at the beginning of lines.

eg "Cannon to right of them, / Cannon to left of them..."

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1854)

What effect does the repeated cannon imagery create?

It emphasizes that the soldiers are completely surrounded.

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1854)

What does "Someone had blundered" mean?

A superior officer made a fatal mistake.

Someone is important because The responsible person remains anonymous.

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1854)

Explain "Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die."

Soldiers must obey orders without questioning them.

the Victorian value : duty and obedience

How do Dickens and Tennyson both reflect Victorian values?

Both emphasize morality, duty, compassion, and social responsibility.

How do Dickens and Tennyson differ?

• Dickens critiques social injustice and poverty.

• Tennyson focuses on heroism, sacrifice, and national identity.