How Class and Social Structure of the Victorian Era Is...

Reading the headlines of today’s newspapers, one will nearly always come across an article focusing on a fight for equal rights between genders or races, the race and revolutions of countries in becoming a democracy and the uprising of societies against constricting governments. However during the Victorian Era, a structured hierarchical environment was not only accepted but was considered to be of the upmost importance in society’s continuous survival. Victorian Literature allows readers to gain a critical insight into the class and social hierarchy of the era, by outlining the extensive amount of guidelines and restrictions applicable to each class and therefore how these affected their attitudes and general existence. The poems ‘Rules†¦show more content†¦Being born into the working class, usually meant poor or no education, which then in turn meant the child was forced to work as part of the laboring class. This would commence from a young age and the n continue into adulthood, most people probably receiving little or no pay. What began was a constant and continuous cycle of poverty that for most was impossible to break. Despite deriving from the lower classes, Smith has been fortunate enough to not only be educated but also knowledgeable enough to know not to waste it. This autobiographical piece was presumably quite purposeful during its time, a tribute by Smith to those of the working classes and an almost rebellion against the system that enveloped society. It continues to be relevant today, serving to prove just how difficult the situations were of the lower class, as a result of the restrictions and confines enforced upon them. It demonstrates how rarely someone was able to break through this structure and succeed despite their upbringing and origins, but also the ability it gave them to appreciate the joy and beauty around them in life. Oscar Wilde’s, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, published in 1899, is a further example of a detailed, complicated and meticulously structured social environment, in which every characterShow MoreRelatedCharles Dickens: A Brief Biography Essay1315 Words   |  6 PagesCharles Dickens blended the Romanticism era, the Industrial age, and the Victorian era into unforgettable novels that still had the whimsical, imaginative part of life. Ruth conceded, â€Å" Dickens increasingly saw the need for finding and nurturing the imaginative core of life that can prevail even in the middle of the modern industrial city (Glancy 17).† Charles used his own experiences and imagination to evoke stories that had an immense impact in the Victorian era, and later years to come. From his underprivilegedRead MoreThe Edwardian Era Of Great Britain2623 Words   |  11 PagesEdwardian era of Great Britain was during the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910. 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