Welcome! I’m so glad you found your way to my blog, where I share everything about Victorian writers and the fascinating time they lived in. The purpose of this space is to celebrate this unique time in history and the writers who immortalised it in their literary creations.
Many of us are familiar with Victorian characters, such as Sherlock Holmes or Oliver Twist, thanks to modern screen adaptations. Maybe it is the love of these films or series that has led you here. These characters are no less popular today than they were at the time of publication. Something about them transcends time, and they continue to fascinate us.
The Victorian era itself is captivating with its imagery of smoke, factories, workhouses, strict morality, dark clothing, and Jack the Ripper. What’s not to like? 😉
However, Victorian literature can be quite challenging to us contemporary readers because of its sentence structure, narrative style, and different values.
My goal in this post is to delve into this intriguing period and make some sense of its writing. This blog is not meant to be a comprehensive academic analysis. It is instead a friendly invitation to dive into this exciting era, explore it, and maybe give its literature a go. Perhaps my musings might spark your own curiosity to learn more. I encourage you to enter this fascinating world—it’s a worthwhile experience.
When?
So, what timeframe are we talking about? Views on this vary. The general view is that the Victorian era corresponds to Queen Victoria’s reign, and her rule lasted from 1837 to 1901. However, some believe it started a bit earlier with the Reform Act of 1832. This Act was significant because before it, voting had been limited to the upper class, who owned property. With this act, the vote was extended to a greater part of the middle-class as well, who consequently got more power. Due to its impact on societal change, many consider the start of the period to be the passing of the Reform Act.
The Victorian era differs from the preceding Georgian (of which the Regency is a sub-period) and succeeding Edwardian eras. We aren’t merely talking about a change in leadership; Victoria’s reign meant a deep societal shift in values.
What Distinguishes this Era?
So what’s characteristic of this period? We can observe changes both visually and internally in society. Consider Jane Austen’s novels and the screen adaptations of them. Notice the difference in dress between women of that time and Victorian women.
Picture to the left: An 1823 engraving of a ball dress. Picture to the right: Mid-1840s dress
The image to the left shows a high waist so typical of the Regency period, in contrast to the low waists to the right from the Victorian era. Victorian women wore corsets that stressed a thin waist, and the crinoline and later the bustle created voluminous skirts that gave the impression of curves. You might remember the dresses in Gone with the Wind. Another characteristic of the period was dark clothes; they were an outward sign of respectability.
If you’ve been watching TV series set during the Regency era, you might have noticed that horses and carriages were the main forms of transportation, even for long distances. The Victorian era, on the other hand, experienced major changes in transportation with the construction of canals and the expansion of the railway. The invention of the telegraph (1837) and then the telephone (1878) further improved communication.
This was not only an era of inventions but also of discoveries, such as Darwin’s theory of the evolution of species (1859). This theory fundamentally shifted how people viewed God, themselves, and their position within the world.
A number of other changes took place as well. Listed below are a few of the most significant.
The Industrial Revolution
This was an era of rapid societal change driven by invention and development. Trains and boats could now move at unparalleled speeds thanks to the steam engine. New inventions and factories made it possible to produce goods in large quantities and at a very low cost. Certain sectors saw enormous growth, such as the textile sector and the printing presses.
Gentleman with two telephones, 1880.
Industrialisation changed almost every aspect of life. Modern tools meant more food could be produced for more people, and with the railway, it could be transported to all parts of the country. The railway made it possible not only to transport goods but also people without relying on horses and carriages.
However, industrialisation had its downsides. Working conditions in the factories were generally terrible. Often the workers had to endure 12 hour long shifts for a very meagre wage. Children were forced to work in the factories too, to help their families. It wasn’t uncommon to start as early as the age of 5, especially for children in low-income families. A common profession for kids was that of a chimney sweeper, as they had tiny bodies that could enter spaces an adult couldn’t.
However, the factory owners also set up schools for the children. More schools in general also started opening in Britain. This meant a great increase in literacy. As more people were reading, more literature was needed. Satisfying this need was easy, as transport and mechanisation meant that books could be printed and transported at lower costs. Nevertheless, books were still not accessible to everyone, so circulating libraries began to emerge as a response to this need.
From Rural to Urban
Britain was a predominantly rural society at the beginning of this era. However, by the end of this period, more than a third of the population lived in cities. It was mainly the harsh conditions in rural areas that forced agricultural workers to seek better lives in towns. Factory work created many new opportunities, leading to mass migration to industrial cities. The towns grew exponentially, and they were inter-connected by the ever-expanding railway.
The cities were overwhelmed by the massive influx of people. New terraced houses sprang up to accommodate the new working class. Another solution was to divide once-elegant, large houses into tenements.
The urban centres became crowded and filthy. They were also filled with smog and lacked sufficient sewage and garbage disposal systems. As a result, sanitation issues and diseases were widespread. Cholera, typhoid, and tuberculosis were rampant, and infant mortality was high. Slums are a common feature in Victorian literature, and with good reason. They were scenes of horror; not only of disease but also of crime.
Poverty
Unfortunately, industrialism didn’t bring prosperity to everyone. While factory owners grew in wealth, the factory workers faced harsh conditions. Typical workdays lasted twelve hours, and it was rough, hazardous work in a loud and unclean environment.
Unfortunately for the working class, they also had to endure harsh conditions at home. Their meagre wages were insufficient to pay for decent accommodation. People often lived together in tenement buildings, where several families were cramped together in one room. These places became notorious as centres where diseases spread.
Halfpenny dinners for poor children in East London. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 26 March 1870.
The poorest faced even harder conditions and were often sent to workhouses. This was especially the case after 1834 when the New Poor Law was passed. These establishments replaced the earlier poorhouses and were horrible institutions, where those capable were subjected to harsh labour. Food portions were often insufficient, and the buildings themselves dirty and unsanitary.
The general attitude towards poverty during this time was not one of compassion. The common view was that the poor were idle and lacked thrift, and thus had to learn to be useful. The law separated the poor into those who deserved help (widows, elderly, children, infirm) and those who didn’t (beggars, vagrants, the unwise).
Efforts to alleviate the suffering were made, with differing degrees of success. Numerous charitable organisations emerged, partly due to the growth of Evangelicalism. One example of such an organisation was The Salvation Army. Religion played a big part in the attitude towards charity, which increasingly became regarded as a ‘woman’s occupation’.
The situation of the poor and the working class wasn’t made better by the rising food prices – a direct result of the Corn Laws, which restricted grain imports. This era also saw the devastating Irish potato famine (1845-1852), which resulted in the death of approximately one million people and massive emigration (more than a million) to countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia.
Self-help
The belief that hard work could lift people out of poverty and improve their social standing gained popularity during Victoria’s reign. The bestseller Self-Help by Samuel Smiles stressed the idea that a man’s success was up to himself. Smiles’ book resonated with Victorian readers due to its focus on discipline and diligence. It was an immense success and sold 20,000 copies during its first year of publication. People realised that social mobility was indeed possible. Smiles stressed individual effort and thought excessive government intervention would create dependent and incompetent citizens. The best assistance was the one that taught self-sufficiency. His opinion was that if people only applied themselves and exercised diligence, they could succeed in all areas of life.
Strict morals
If there is anything the Victorian era is known for, it is its strict morals. Society took a huge turn during this time. The debauchery of the aristocrats so characteristic of the beginning of the 19th century gave way to reserve and prudery. Gambling decreased during this time, and so did the visits to brothels. Multiple factors contributed to this. The Queen’s behaviour served as an example of mourning and restraint. Another factor was the spread of Evangelicalism. Evangelicals believed in a literal interpretation of the Bible and emphasised temperance, spiritual discipline, family life, and marital fidelity.
The rise of the middle class and its influence also played a part. They (the middle class) regarded themselves as the most respectable citizens in society and saw it as their duty to educate the lower and upper classes. Soon, these values spread to other groups in society and to the world. The British were eager to show themselves as a highly civilised nation, and to export this fine comportment and values to the dark corners of the Empire.
The Home
Home and family life were central to the Victorians. Queen Victoria had a large family, and she became a role-model for society. During the nineteenth century, the home became something of a symbol of happiness and harmony. It was seen as an escape from noisy and dirty cities. The ideal was a home where the man was the sole breadwinner and the woman the caregiver – ‘the angel of the house’. This woman was pure, decent, caring, and diligent. However, this ideal did not work for everyone, especially not for working-class families, for whom it was impossible to survive on only one income. Another problem with this ideal was single women and widows, who had no husbands to provide for them, nor did they have anyone they could care for.
The Gentleman and manliness
Line engraving of a Victorian lady and gentleman addressing a boy (1888)
Being a gentleman was important to the Victorians, who associated it with respectability. There was a strong emphasis on character. An individual needed to be strong, resilient, and useful. Discipline became the instrument for achieving this goal. Closely tied to the idea of discipline was the Christian faith and its emphasis on endurance and suffering.
To develop character, upper-class boys were sent to boarding schools, where suffering was expected and severe punishments were carried out. Bullying was common, and the teachers viewed it as an essential part of life, so they didn’t try to stop it. A boy’s weaknesses, such as introversion, gentleness and compassion, were seen as effeminate and in need of check.
Sports became immensely popular not only in boarding schools, but in society at large, and many popular sports, such as football, rugby, tennis and field hockey were either developed or codified during this time.
Imperialism
Hodson’s Horse was a new British regiment created during the Indian Mutiny in 1857
By this time, Britain had lost its American colony. However, the British continued to expand their empire to such an extent that the phrase “the sun never sets on the British Empire” was coined. This expansion was not strategic, and the colonies were a rather disjointed group that emerged from trade activities, explorations, and conflicts like the Indian Mutiny.
The British gained control of India and large portions of Africa during this period. As the British excelled at shipbuilding, they were able to trade with the whole world. However, Britain was not the only player and competed against other European nations, especially in the ‘scramble for Africa’.
The colonies brought tea, spices, and raw materials to Britain, which in turn exported manufactured goods to them. There was constant movement of people and goods, and Britain benefitted greatly from this exchange.
The Victorians were very proud of their nation and saw their own character and values as superior to everyone else’s. As a consequence, they saw it as their duty to bring their light to the dark corners of the world. Missionary expeditions and explorations increased and took people into hitherto unexplored territories. These people (who were mostly men) documented their explorations. Men such as Henry Morton Stanley and his exaggerated accounts of his own adventures and bravery paved the way for similar stories. As a result, new genres, such as travel writing and adventure fiction, started developing towards the end of the century, and so did a new kind of manly ideal. This man was a sharp contrast to the dignified gentlemen in armchairs. These were ‘heroes’ who defied a hostile environment and savage people. People back home approved of the missions and explorations, and loved to receive news from exotic countries and hear about the ‘savages’.
Victorian Literature
Romanticism, which had been so popular in the Georgian era, now gave way to realism. People wanted to read about realistic characters and settings. The novel format became immensely popular during this time.
Victorian novels are long – often forty chapters. The simple reason is that many were originally serialised and published in magazines – like the novels of Charles Dickens. Each chapter ended with a cliffhanger, and people waited eagerly for the next instalment to know what would happen in the story. Once the entire story was out, it was published as a novel. Another reason for these tomes was the preferences of The Circulating libraries, which favoured novels that were long and consisted of three volumes. This allowed them to lend out several volumes, and to have readers who looked forward to the next one.
Victorian stories are filled with detailed descriptions of realistic settings. Not much is left to the imagination. This is a stark contrast to contemporary novels, which are sparse in detail, relying on reader imagination. Authors of this era not only wanted to entertain; they also sought to educate the public and make them reflect upon the social injustices of the time.
Sherlock Holmes & Watson in The Adventure of the Empty House.
Towards the end of this era, we see the birth of stories that later developed into popular modern genres. Examples of these are detective fiction, such as Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle; adventure fiction, such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island; and science fiction by H. G. Wells, The War of the Worlds.
Victorian poetry is experimental both in its style and subject matter. Poets took inspiration from other forms like fiction and drama and even drew inspiration from paintings. An example is the pre-Raphaelite Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Their themes were varied and covered everything from social injustice and love to philosophy and landscapes. They were also fascinated by older periods, for instance, the Middle Ages and the Italian Renaissance.
Victorian plays written in the first and mid-century part did not stand the test of time, and were passed into oblivion. It was not until the end of the era that we see playwrights of great calibre. Examples are Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw, who wrote humorous plays that also offered social critique.
Conclusion
Many other changes took place, and I have only just scratched the surface. Naturally, this was an era of change and social unrest. This is something worth keeping in mind when you read these authors, who were greatly shaped by their times.
By now, I hope I have sparked your interest and convinced you to give Victorian writers a chance. I admit that their writing style is sometimes challenging due to their love of long descriptive sentences, but it is something you get used to after a while. If you feel their writing style is too elaborate and quirky, there are plenty of ‘contemporary Victorian’ writers out there. You can, for example, check out my Victorian novelette, which takes place in Manchester. It is a short, heartwarming romance that explores class issues and personality clashes. Check it out here: A Different Kind of Deal
You can learn more about Victorian literature and the Victorians by visiting these blogs and websites:
Photo Attributions:
1823-Ball-Gown-Diaphanous-Overskirt. Unknown 1823 artist, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Mid-1840s Dress. Nicole.c.s.y93, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Gentleman with two telephones, 1880. Benoît Bonnafoux, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Halfpenny dinners for poor children in East London. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 26 March 1870. The Illustrated London News, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
A lady and gentleman stopped and spoke to me (1888). Unsigned, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Hodson’s Horse; Felice Beato (English, born Italy, 1832 – 1909), Henry Hering (British, 1814 – 1893); 1858–1859. The J. Paul Getty Museum, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sherlock Holmes & Watson in The Adventure of the Empty House. Sidney Paget (1860 – 1908), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
© Elizabeth Kinns 2025. All rights reserved.
One response to “Timeless Writing: Victorian Literature”
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An interesting and educational read!
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