Orlando Timeline - LIT 4050 Spring 2023
Created by Bettina Pedersen on Mon, 02/20/2023 - 19:51
Part of Group:
This timeline will show the span of time in this novel's six chapters narrative Orlando's very long life, beginning in the Elizabethan Age. The span of time that Virginia Woolf assigns to her protagonist Orlando's life is fundamental to her commentary on gender and genre.
![Lenare, studio portrait of Vita Sackville-West in the manner of Sir Peter Lely, 1927] | Orlando virginia woolf, Vita sackville west, Virginia woolf](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b5/b5/b9/b5b5b9f9af93c67d79c8198669e52702.jpg)
Timeline
Chronological table
| Date | Event | Created by | Associated Places | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| circa. 1500 |
Romani (Gypsy) Migration [Historical, Chapter 3, pp. 140] The history of the Romani, or Gypsy, people was shrouded in mystery until about the 18th century as they did not have a strong tradition of written or oral history. Stefan Valyi, a Hungarian theology student, began to study the Romani language to learn more about Gypsy history and culture, which sparked further scholarship on the Romani people. While the reason for the migration of the Romani people from India to Europe is unknown, it is highly likely that they migrated to Europe to escape the invasion go Afghan general Mahmud of Ghazni in the early 11th century. The Romani people would eventually split up and migrate in smaller groups, some going to Northern Africa and Greece while others continued migrating to Europe. By the early 1500s, the Romani people had a fairly sizable population in Sweden, England, and Scotland. The term Gypsy originated from “Egyptian” which the European population perceived them to be because of their dark complexion. The term Gypsy is considered offensive by the Romani people as this word was often used as a racial slur. The Romani population in England would have been about one generation established by the time Orlando encounters them directly after their transformation from a man to a woman. While the Gypsy people and Orlando may not have gotten along super well (pg. 151), Orlando’s interaction with a people group removed from the strict confines of English society was an important connection to make as Orlando explores their unconventional and fluid concepts of gender. (260 word count) “Migrations of the Romani People.” National Geographic, https://media.nationalgeographic.org/assets/file/romani_MIG.pdf. Accessed March 13 2023. Woolf, Virginia. “Chapter 3.” Orlando: A Biography, Mariner Books, Boston, 2022, pp. 140-143. |
Samantha Rey | ||
| 1533 to 1603 |
Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) Queen Elizabeth the First (1533-1603) [Orlando, Chapter 2, page 99] was the monarch of England from 1558 to 1603 and was the last ruler of the House of Tudor. She was unmarried and had no children, and is referred to by some as the "Virgin Queen." She was the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, and her mother was excuted when Elizabeth was only two. Elizabeth came to the throne upon the death of her half-sister, Mary, and ruled with a more moderate hand than her predecessors. She was relatively tolerant of other religions, though she was primarily responible for consolidating the Church of England, and the Pope actually declared her a false queen in 1570. Despite numerous attempts on her life she remained a popular queen, partly due to the fact that her long reign of 44 years brought a measure of stability to a frought and anxious England. Her decision to remain childless was perhaps due, in part, to her unwillingness to compromise her power (Greenblatt, Morrill) but also had the effect of creating her own Virgin cult, resulting in Elizabeth being praised for her purity and self-control. Her reign was a time of relative peace and prosperity where literature and culture flourished and there was a respite from the Christian internal wars of the decades previous. (223 words) Woolf, Virginia. Orlando, Mariner Books. 1928 Greenblatt, Stephen J. and Morrill, John S.. "Elizabeth I". Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-I. Accessed 13 March 2023. |
Emma McCoy | ||
| 8 Winter 1542 to 8 Feb 1587 |
Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1587) Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1587) [Orlando, Chapter 3, page 172] was the Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 – 24 July 1567, and caused great controversy over her legitimacy as a monarch. Her father was King James V of Scotland who died soon after her birth on December 8, 1542. Mary left Scotland at the age of five and was brought up in the court of King Henry II in France, eventually marrying the eldest son of Henry II and Catherine in 1558 for the political purpose of bringing union between France and Scotland. Mary returned to Scotland in 1561 and took on her role as monarch, maintaining a policy of religious tolerance as one way to gain the trust of the people. Mary was Roman Catholic, but the official religion of Scotland had been reformed to Protestantism in her absence. Although Mary may have been met with some suspicion as she returned to Scotland to take on the role of monarch, there were many Roman Catholics who viewed her as being a more legitimate ruler than Queen Elizabeth I, and the true heiress to the English throne because they didn’t view Henry VIII’s divorce from Catherine as valid. In Orlando, Mary Queen of Scots is referenced in relation to her faith as Orlando finds her prayer book: "It was a little book bound in velvet, stitched with gold, which had been held by Mary Queen of Scots on the scaffold, and the eye of faith could detect a brownish stain, said to be made a drop of the Royal blood" (Woolf 172). In July of 1565, she was married for the second time to her cousin Lord Darnely, which proved to be a very disadvantageous decision as she antagonized all the elements that upheld the power structure in Scotland. Darnley killed her confidant and then died very suspiciously, most likely at the hands of the nobles. Mary was married off to the chief suspect in his murder Lord Bothwell, and sought refuge with Elizabeth in England. Elizabeth held her in captivity in a series of prisons for eighteen years, under the accusation that she was involved with Darnely’s murder. Mary was eventually tried in English courts and executed in 1587. (369 words) “Elizabeth II.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 3 Feb. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-II. Woolf, Virginia. Orlando, Mariner Books. 1928
|
Emma Peters | ||
| 1563 |
Acts of Parliament 1563: Criminalizing Egyptians and "An Act against Conjurations, Enchantments and Witchcraft" Acts of Parliament of 1563: Criminalizing Egyptians and “An Act against Conjurations, Enchantments and Witchcraft” (1563) [HISTORICAL Chapter 3, page 151]. The Acts of Parliament in 1563 were twofold, and the criminalization of Egyptians dates back to 1531. In the first two statues of 1531, Tudor legislatures attempted to define the legal identity of Egyptian people as going from place to place, using crafty means to deceive people, like fortune telling (Morgan). At first, they were treated with suspicion, and then legislators passed an act allowing for the confiscation of their goods and their banishment from England if they did not leave within a certain number of days (Morgan). Fast forward to 1563, The 1563 Acts of Parliament included a statue that considered those who disguised themselves as vagabonds or called themselves Egyptians as felons. They lost their land (Morgan). Additionally, the 1563 Witchcraft Act formally criminalized witchcraft and even imposed the death penalty. This was largely due to the anti-catholic sentiment that witchcraft presented (Brennen). The legislators’ suspicions that Egyptians were fortune-tellers perhaps played into the law against witchcraft. In Orlando, after staying with the gypsies for a while, Orlando “told them she must sail to England the very next day” (Woolf 151). This chapter presents the lives of gypsies at the time, moving from place to place and being criminalized out of England. Woolf, through the changing time periods in Orlando, is able to present the prejudices of different groups of people. It is interesting that this is the first time that I am hearing of these specific Acts of Parliament. In this sense, the novel opened my eyes to a key element of history that is overlooked. (276).
Brennen, Lewis. “Parliaments, Politics and People Seminar: The Political and Religious Origins of the 1563 Witchcraft Act.” The History of Parliament, 1 Nov. 2019, https://thehistoryofparliament.wordpress.com/2019/11/05/parliaments-poli...
Morgan, J. E. “‘Counterfeit Egyptians’: The Construction and Implementation of a Criminal Identity in Early Modern England.” Romani Studies, 26(2), 105-128. 2016. https://doi.org/10.3828/rs.2016.7
Woolf, Virginia. Orlando. Mariner Books, 1956.
|
Sofie Fransen | ||
| 1564 to 1593 |
Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) [chapter 1 pp. 88] is also referred to as Kit Marlowe, who was an amazing English playwright and poet in the Elizabethen era alongside Shakespeare, Marlowe's work being one of the main inspirations behind Shakespear's work. Shakespear later trumped Marlowe's work and became more widely known for his work. Marlowe's work is based in sensibility, and is heavy with realistic emotions. Marlowe spoke into the rise of science intelects by being proudly anti-intellectualism. His works also held a lot of violence, something that was quite popular and appreciated within the Elizabethan era. Little is known about Marlowe’s life, but what is known is that he was a bold atheist and was assumed to be a homosexual. Marlowe was killed 1593, something that has been argued over for years. The coroner's report states that he was killed in a drunken bar fight, however some believe he was murdered by Ingram Frizer. Within Virginia Woolf's Orlando, the narrator refers to Marlowe while Orlando is still a man. This is relevant due to the contrast between Orlando's own male ego and struggle to feel contempt in his own literature journey, as where it is so publicly known that Shakespeare achieved what Marlowe did and more at that. The line in chapter 1 says, "Shakespear, he admitted, had written some scenes that were well enough but had chiefly from Marlowe. Marlowe was a likely boy, but what could you say of a lad who died before her was thirty?" (Wolf 88). This line pulls the reader into the social politics of the time, as where these authors were writing at the time Orlando is living in. (275) |
Hannah Jensen | ||
| 26 Apr 1564 to 23 Apr 1616 |
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare (1564-1616) [HISTORICAL ch.2 p.88] is an English playwright and poet based in London, best known for his many comedic and tragic plays as well as his poetry, especially in sonnet form. Shakespeare, also known as the "Bard of Avon" of the "English national poet", is often considered the greatest dramatist of all time. In many ways, Shakespeare revolutionized theater with his sense of wit as well as his ability to grasp the emotions of the audience. He grew up in Stratford upon Avon and received a good education at the local grammar school which is thought to have ignited his love of writing and literature. At age 18 he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had 3 children, a daughter named Sussana and later twins, Hamnet and Judith. Throughout the course of his life, he wrote a total of 37 plays, both comedy and tragedy, as well as 4 poems, and a collection of sonnets; the structure of which became a standard in the English language, and continues to be to this day. His best-known comedies include A Midsummer Night's Dream (1600) and Much Ado About Nothing (c.1598), while his best-known tragedies include Macbeth (1623), Hamlet (c.1599), and Othello (c. 1603). He also wrote several historical plays including Richard III (c.1592-94) and Henry V (c.1599). He was quite successful during the course of his life, performing for Queen Elizabeth I as part of the Lord Chamberlain's Men in the now iconic Globe Theater. In 1613, the Globe burned down and subsequently Shakespeare retired; he then died 3 years later in 1616. Within the context of Orlando, Shakespeare first serves as a literary hero for Orlando and an inspiration in his own writing of plays and poetry. Because Orlando's story begins in the Elizabethan era, it makes sense that Shakespeare would be brought up as he was an incredibly relevant figure during this time and would have been an inspiration to any young wordsmith, but for Orlando in particular, he becomes a symbol of the past as her life progresses. In one particular instance, he is brought up by Nick Greene, an author, and friend of Orlando's who might have been inspired by Robert Greene, a peer and avid critic of Shakespeare. In Orlando, Greene criticizes Shakespeare, accusing him of simply copying Christopher Marlowe's work and using his talents to make money rather than write good literature (p.88-89). He then hypothesizes that the works of Shakespeare will be lost to time, and he will fade into obscurity, which is disproven a few centuries later when Orlando and Greene reunite (p.278), and Greene says that with Shakespeare's passing, the great era of literature is over. In many ways, Shakespeare's immortality through the legacy of his work mimics the immortality of Orlando as they both endure the ever-changing and challenging conditions of the world. (480 words) Woolf, Virginia. Orlando: A Biography. Mariner Books, an Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, 2022. Bevington, David, et al. “William Shakespeare.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 9 Mar. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Shakespeare. “William Shakespeare.” British Library, https://www.bl.uk/people/william-shakespeare. |
Rachel Kang | ||
| 1566 to 1625 |
King James VI of Scotland/ King James I of England King James (1566 - 1625) [Historical Person, Chapter 2, pg. 101] was the ruler of Scotland from 1567-1625 and the king of England from 1603-1625. As king of Scotland, he is referred to as James VI, whereas in England he is known as James I. He assumed the Scottish throne at the age of one year. His father died in a house explosion, and his mother (Mary, Queen of Scotts) abdicated the throne and abandoned the child. James I’s rule was modeled after royal absolutism. This approach to governance resulted in his reign of England being riddled with conflicts with Parliament. By the time James I was crowned king of England in 1603, he had been accustom to the duties and demands of royal government. That being said, “James hardly understood the rights or the temper of the English Parliament . . . had little content with the English middle class, and he suffered from the narrowness of his horizons” (Matthew). It should be noted that not all of his policies were failures or disruptors of the peace. In fact, it was James I who ended Englands war with Spain in 1604. However, in 1608 “ when Parliament refused to grant him pay for extravagances, James placed new customs duties on merchants without Parliament’s consent” (Matthew). This circumvention of Parliament’s power and influence increased tensions and eventually led to James dissolving Parliament in 1611.
In Orlando, King James I enters the narrative along with the Great Frost where he is attributed to the promotion of the Frost Fair. Perhaps his “extravagant” style is exemplified in this celebratory event on the Thames whilst England suffered from economic hardship. Woolf captures England’s first Stuart ruler “with snow and winter, with log fires burning, with Russian women, gold swords, and the bark of stags; with old King James’s slobbering and fireworks and sacks of treasure in the holds of Elizabethan sailing ships (Woolf 101). In the novel, the reign of King James I embodies a life lost but remembered fondly, the life Orlando spent with the Russian princess, a life swept away like all the debris that drowned in the river in 1607. Word Count: 355 Woolf, Virginia. Orlando: A Biography. Mariner Books, an Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, 2022. Matthew, David. “James I.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-I-king-of-England-and-Scotland. |
Aliah Fabros | ||
| 1571 |
The founding of the Royal Exchange in London in 1571 The Royal Exchange [Chapter 1, page 44] in London was founded in the 16th Century by the merchant Sir Thomas Gresham. Gresham had been based in Antwerp as a royal agent. He saw that there was a magnificent Bourse (a stock market in a non-English-speaking country, especially France) in Antwerp, but there wasn’t one in his hometown. He proposed to build a building for the stock exchange at his own expense as long as the city provided the land. The site was provided by the City of London Corporation and the Worshipful Company of Mercers, who still jointly own the freehold. The original foundation was ceremonially opened by Queen Elizabeth I, who granted it its “royal” title and a license to sell alcohol. The original Royal Exchange was modeled on the Bourse in Antwerp, the world’s oldest financial exchange. The exchange building has twice been destroyed by fire and subsequently rebuilt. Works Cited: |
Anna Wang | ||
| 1572 to 1631 |
John Donne's Life and Work John Donne (1572-1631) [HISTORICAL, Chapter 2, page 88 and chapter 6, pg. 285] was the leading English poet of the metaphysical school and is often considered the greatest love poet in the English language. He was born to Roman Catholic parents and was four when his father died. He studied for three years at the University of Oxford and then at the University of Cambridge. He then secretly married Anne More in December of 1601. Because of this secret marriage, he lost all hope of a career in public service and found himself unemployed at the age of 30, living in poverty. John studied and wrote frequently during this time, developing works on theology, religious poetry and love lyrics. He was ordained as a deacon and priest in 1615 and shortly after, his wife died leaving him to raise the children. He dove fully into his vocation as a priest and his sermons were loved by King James I and Charles I (Garland Pinka). He died from stomach cancer in 1631. Donne’s poetry is known for avoiding the conventions of 16th century English verse. He drew from a wide range of other genres such as medicine, astronomy, politics and philosophy and his sermons highlight a strong mastery of prose. His style has a dramatic realism and passion. Some of his more popular works are “The Flea,” “The Canonization,” “The Sun Rising” and “The Good-Morrow.” When Donne’s name is first mentioned in Orlando in Chapter 2, Greene criticized Donne as being “a mountebank who had wrapped up his lack of meaning in hard words” (88). Greene essentially claimed he deceived readers through his eloquence of words. He also claimed that all authors in that era were bad. In chapter 6, Orlando reads “an article by Sir Nicholas on the collected works of a man she had once known— John Donne” (284-85). This is after Greene says he likes her work.
Garland Pinka, Patricia. “Prose of John Donne.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Donne/Prose. Woolf, Virginia. Orlando. Mariner Books, 1956. |
Sofie Fransen | ||
| 1585 to 18 Aug 1604 |
Anglo-Spanish War (1585) The Anglo-Spanish War (1585-1604) [Orlando, Chapter 1 page 18] was between England and the Hasburg-controlled Spain and was never formally declared as a war. King Philip II of Spain and Elizabeth I were opposed to each other on the grounds of religion; King Philip was a defender of the Catholic faith and Queen Elizabeth had re-established the Church of England with the Act of Supremacy in 1559. Philip was dealing with rising Protestant movements in his kingdom, and Elizabeth was supporting what essentially constitued as smuggling in the Spanish-controlled West Indies. Elizabeth wanted to break Philip's monopoly, and supported her sailors in doing so (Colley). In 1568, a sea battle near Veracruz soured relations even further, and then Englishman Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe between 1577 and 1580, sinking Spanish galleons along the way. In the next four years, each monarch supported and uprising in the other's country, and Elizabeth's support of the Dutch independence movement was a non-declaration declaration of war in Philips' eyes. Philip was reluctant to enter a war, but he saw Elizabeth's interefence in the Dutch colony as an attempt to make the country Protestant. The war was fought much over sea, and although the Spanish armada had the better reputation, the English badly outnumbered them (Colley). The war cost Elizabeth greatly, especially because of an Irish rebellion, and she sold 1/4 of her land to pay for it. These financial problems toward the end of her reign only highlighted the flawed system of government under the House of Tudor. Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603, and after nearly two decades the war ended in a stalement, which resulted in the Treaty of London in 1604. (word count: 280) Woolf, Viginia. Orlando, Mariner Books. 1928 Colley, Linda J. , Josephson, Paul R. , Atkins, Ralph Charles , Kellner, Peter , Hastings, Margaret , Joyce, Patrick , Whitelock, Dorothy , Morrill, John S. , Spencer, Ulric M. , Smith, Lacey Baldwin , Gilbert, Bentley Brinkerhoff , Briggs, Asa , Ravenhill, William , Kishlansky, Mark A. , Prestwich, Michael Charles , Chaney, William A. , Frere, Sheppard Sunderland and Barr, Nicholas A.. "United Kingdom". Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Mar. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom. Accessed 14 March 2023. |
Emma McCoy | ||
| 25 Apr 1599 to 3 Sep 1658 |
Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell was an English soldier and statesman who led parliamentary forces in the English Civil Wars and served as lord protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1653-58) during the republican Commonwealth (born in Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire, England, on April 25, 1599—died in London on September 3, 1658).
As one of the generals fighting for Parliament against King Charles I in the English Civil War, Cromwell contributed to the overthrow of the Stuart dynasty. As lord protector, he also reversed the decline his nation had experienced since the death of Queen Elizabeth I by restoring it to its former position as a major European power. Although being a fervent Calvinist, he firmly believed in the benefits of religious tolerance. At the same time, Cromwell's successes at home and abroad served to extend and perpetuate a Puritan state of thought, both in Great Britain and in North America, that continued to affect political and social life until recent times. His father had served in one of Queen Elizabeth's parliaments and was involved in community affairs as a landowner and judge of the peace. Oliver's great-grandfather and grandfather helped Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's prime minister, acquire substantial quantities of former monastery territory in Huntingdon and the Fens, and Cromwell was indirectly descended from him on his father's side.
Woolf, Virginia. Orlando: A Biography. Harcourt Brace & Company, 1928.
Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Mediation and the Second Civil War of Oliver Cromwell. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 14, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Oliver-Cromwell/Mediation-and-the-s... |
Verinia Gillebaard | ||
| circa. 1600 to circa. 1700 |
The Popularization of Wedding Rings ["Chapter 6", pp. 263-4] Orlando by Virginia Woolf encapsulates the journey of a gender fluid person on their quest for a full life full of love. Part of that journey incorporated the adventure of marriage, which includes the exchanging of wedding rings. Orlando discourses on two occasions on the symbol of the ring as well as the ring’s influence on societal tradition, concluding with Orlando contemplating her own wedding ring after her marriage to Shelmerdine: “There was a wedding ring on her finger to prove it….worse than useless….‘The wedding ring has to be put on the second finger of the left hand…for it to be any use at all.’” (Woolf 263). Orlando, and through her Woolf, is presenting a utilitarian purpose to a wedding ring. Earlier in the novel, Orlando states that it seemed like “the whole world was ringed with gold” and the rings of her youth had evolved with society: “Rings filled the jewelers’ shops, not the flashy pastes and diamonds Orlando’s recollection, but simple bands without a stone in them” (241). There is a shift in the fashion trends regarding wedding bands during Orlando’s extensive life. From a historical perspective, wedding rings have a long history reaching into the ancient world and changing with Greek and Roman influence overtime. In the 17th century, wedding rings became a cultural item over a personal gesture between partners. Furthermore, diamond rings, even though they could be dated back to late 100sAD in Rome, became popular within wealthy circles in the same century, which follows Orlando’s description of the rings becoming more plain and widespread (“History of the Wedding Ring"). Connecting to the life of the author, on August 10,1912, Virginia Stephen married Leonard Woolf; however, their marriage was unconventional as they only loved each other platonically, suggesting that it was a marriage of convenience (“Virginia and Lenard Woolf”). Woolf saw her marriage and her ring as a tool to live the life she wanted without the negative opinions of society getting in the way. Orlando’s ring serves a purpose to tell the world that she is married, but the ring only serves the purpose on her left ring finger, which leans into the symbolism and created tradition. Woolf further comments on the concept of marriage through Orlando: “It did not seem to be Nature” (242). (376) Work Cited: “History of the Wedding Ring.” With These Rings, http://withtheseringshandmade.com/history-of-wedding-rings. “Virginia and Lenard Woolf.” Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=Virginia+Woolf+marriage&title=Special:MediaSearch&go=Go&type=image. Woolf, Virginia. “Chapter 5.” Orlando: A Biography, Mariner Books, Boston, 2022, p. 227-62. Woolf, Virginia. “Chapter 6.” Orlando: A Biography, Mariner Books, Boston, 2022, p. 263-330. |
Rachel Heckle | ||
| Winter 1607 to 1608 |
The Great Frost The Great Frost (1607-1608) [Historical Event, Chapter I, pp. 33] refers to an event of extremely cold weather that afflicted Europe in the early 17th century. It should be noted that there were several similar winters that occured across the centuries, most notable the Great Frost of 1709. Therefore, when Woolf references The Great Frost in her novel, it's difficult to gage which historical event she is referencing. Due to the fact that she associates this event with King James I, the Frost Fair, and the freezing of the River Thames, I have chosen to focus on the The Great Frost of 1607. In December of 1607, this ferocious winter caused the River Thames in London to freeze: “within three weeks the river turned solid from bank to bank . . . and impromptu parties appeared in the middle of the frozen river” (White). This marked the creation of the Frost Fair, which is pictured below. Though this little ice age had breached the majority of Europe, the image of the frozen Thames is “the most famous image of that winter” (White). However, the Great Frost was not just one big winter wonderland. In Orlando, Woolf describes the Great Frost as “the most severe that has ever visited these islands. Birds froze in mid air and fell like stones to the ground . . . the mortality among sheep and cattle was enormous. Corpses froze and could not be drawn from the sheets” (Woolf 33). This excerpt highlights the devastation of this natural disaster. The repeated imagery of death alludes to the economic downfall England was experiencing due to the loss of crops and animals. These losses added fuel to an already existing fire. Throughout 1607, English men and women exhibited “anger and despair over continuing high food prices” (White). Despite the various decrees of King James I to ration the food sources , “the extreme cold of early 1608 ruined the wheat crop” and nullified his efforts (White). Thus, England was thrusted into “a kind of petrifacation” (Woolf 33). Word Count: 333 Citations: Woolf, Virginia. Orlando: A Biography. Mariner Books, an Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, 2022. White, Sam. A Cold Welcome: The Little Ice Age and Europe's Encounter with North America. Harvard University Press, 2017. |
Aliah Fabros | ||
| 1630 to 1685 |
King Charles II King Charles II (1630-1685) [Orlando, Chapter 6, pp. 301] was a monarch in the 17th century who was briefly mentioned in Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando. His role is minimal in the story as he is just mentioned in the list of the lineage of monarchs that slept in the royal bed sharing sheets. Though the mention of King Charles II has no impact on the plot of the novel, it does demonstrate the intimate knowledge and connection Orlando had with the royalty as he lists their names without proper titles: “Elizabeth; James; Charles; George; Victoria; Edward; no wonder the sheet had a hole in it.” King Charles II was the offspring of King Charles I who was executed due to a civil war caused by political turmoil. King Charles II left two years prior to the execution of his father but returned when offered the role of King after 11 years of interregnum. His reign began in 1661 and is recognized as the mark of the period of restoration. After Oliver Cromwell, the leader of the country, died, the nation turned to King Charles II for his leadership and re-establishment of monarchy. King Charles II agreed to honor the Petition of Right which asked for recognition of the violations that King Charles I committed: no taxation without parliament consent, no incarceration without cause, no housing of soldiers on subjects, and no martial law outside of wartime. In 1679, King Charles II dissolved parliament because of their critique and anti-Catholic agenda. In 1670, King Charles II signed a treaty with King Louis XIV to convert to Catholicism to which he followed through on his death bed on February 6, 1685. (279) “Charles II (r. 1660-1685).” Royal.UK, Royal.UK, https://www.royal.uk/charles-ii. Accessed 15 Mar. 2023. “Charles II of England.” Biography, Biography, 26 Oct. 2021, https://www.biography.com/royalty/charles-ii-of-england. |
Lesslye Aparicio | ||
| 1661 to 1700 |
King Charles II of Spain's Apoplectic Fits King Charles II of Spain (1661-1700) [HISTORICAL, Chapter 2, pp. 92] was the ruler of Spain from 1665 to 1700 and was known for his ill health which was largely the result of inbreeding within the royal family. He became King at the age of 3 and ruled for the first ten years with the guidance of his mother, Queen Mariana of Austria (1634-1696), who remained an influential advisor until her death. He was married twice, firstly to Marie Louise d'Orléans (1662-1689) in the year 1679 till her death, then to Maria Anna of Neuburg (1667-1740) in 1689 till Charles's death. His rule is noted as the beginning of many conflicts within Europe including the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) following his death and the end of the Habsburg Dynasty in Spain as well as a multitude of economic crises during and following his rule. He suffered from many health issues throughout his life which lead to infertility and therefore no successor to his throne. He also suffered from "apoplexy" which at the time could have referred to any number of symptoms including convulsions, fainting, and fits of madness, all of which Charles is historically famous for suffering from. In Orlando, a "Spanish King who had fits of apoplexy" (p.92) is referenced as someone Orlando heard and gossiped about during his time working for the Crown. Through this, he becomes a point of reference for Orlando's past existence as a man. The frivolity of his past life allows him to better understand the differences in his position then as a man in a position of power as opposed to after his transformation, during which he reflects upon his time, now as a woman. (287 words) Woolf, Virginia. Orlando: A Biography. Mariner Books, an Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, 2022. The Editors of the Encyclopedia Brittanica. “War of the Spanish Succession.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 13 Feb. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/event/War-of-the-Spanish-Succession. “Charles II of Spain.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Mar. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_II_of_Spain. Engelhardt, Eliasz. “Apoplexy, Cerebrovascular Disease, and Stroke: Historical Evolution of Terms and Definitions.” Dementia & Neuropsychologia, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5770005/. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Charles II.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-II-king-of-Spain. |
Rachel Kang | ||
| 6 Feb 1665 to 1 Aug 1714 |
Queen Anne's Reign Queen Anne (1665- 1714) [HISTORICAL chapter 4 pp. 194] was born in 1665 to James II and Ann Hyde. She is known for being short and stout in build and shy in personality. She suffered from an unhappy marriage as her husband Prince George of Denmark was frequently drunk. Anne suffered from several health issues including gout and childbearing difficulties. Westministerabbey.org reveals that although she became "pregnant seventeen times, she only had one child that lived past infancy." Unfortunately, that son, William, died at eleven. Anne became Queen in 1702 at age 37. While Anne's personal life is marked with tragedy, her reign is remembered for its prosperity. In Orlando, Virginia Woolf comments that "...society in the reign of Queen Anne was of unparalleled brilliance" (194). Writers like Pope and Swift were constructing verse and St. Paul's Cathedral was being finished. During her reign, Scotland and England merged to become Great Britain. Anne supported the church and supplemented the incomes of poor clergymen under an act coined "Queen Anne's Bounty." Although the country was doing well under her reign, Anne struggled with determining what political party she wanted to take advice from. She began by siding with the Tories, mostly out of allegiance to the Anglican church. She detested the Roman Catholic church. However, during the French and Indian Wars happening in North America, Anne began to shift her view. She appointed a Whig to be her advisor and adopeed their view on how the war should be founght. But, as the war dragged on, the Whigs lost favor. In her last year of rule, Britian was granted a monopoly on the slave trade taking place in the Spanish colonies. Britian would go on to supply the colonies with slaves for 30 years. Soon after, Anne suffered a stroke that ended her life in 1714. Under her reign, Britain gained incredible military power that led it toward its golden age. Although her personal life saw hardships and tragedy, she was a good ruler who cared for her people. She ultimately strengthened England during her reign. Word count: 345
Woolf, Viginia. Orlando, Mariner Books. 1928. “Queen Anne.” Westminster Abbey, https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/royals/queen-anne.
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Emily Jacobson | ||
| 2 Sep 1666 to 6 Sep 1666 |
The Great Fire of London The Great Fire of London (1666) [Chapter 3, pp. 119, 127] is described as one of the worst fires in London's history. It started in the King's baker's house by the London Bridge by accident on Sunday, September 2 and spread with wind into the City of London, destroying a large portion including civic buildings, old St. Paul’s Cathedral, 87 parish churches, and about 13,000 houses (Jokinen). Houses at the time were extremely flammable due to the fact that they were made of wood and pitch construction, causing a large expansion of the fire across three days. The fire was not reported to have taken many lives, but it did displace thousands of citizens and left a majority of the city in ruins. King Charles II's plan to rebuild the city involved creating wider streets and buildings of brick. In Woolf's Orlando, the narrator first mentions The Great Fire when discussing the English Civil War (1642-1641) and the "fire" that "followed" and "damaged or destroyed all those papers from which any trustworthy record could be drawn" (Woolf 119). The narrator then later uses a manuscript from the diary of a man named John Fenner Brigge and mentions that the manuscript was "full of burns and holes, some sentences being quite illegible" (127), of which we assume to be associated with this previously-mentioned event. Woolf's reference to this event in the novel not only highlights an important disaster that marks significant change for London, but it also highlights the way historical accounts can be destroyed or fragmented in disasters and still be used to report the "truth" by historians and biographers. (271 word count)
Jokinen, Anniina. “The Great Fire of London, 1666.” Luminarium, 23 Mar 2012, http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/greatfire.htm. Woolf, Virginia. Orlando: A Biography. Mariner Books, 1973. |
Jennifer Dougherty | ||
| 21 May 1688 to 30 May 1744 |
Alexander Pope Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (1688-1744) [Chapter 4, pp. 207-09] was a famous English poet and satirist who was an important figure in the Neoclassical movement of the early 18th century. Pope's work was unpopular in the press in his time as his satires and poetry of manners didn't match the Romantic and Victorian styles of the time. His unpopularity is also often attributed to the fact that he was Catholic during the reign of Protestant William of Orange and had stunted growth and a hunchback after contracting spinal tuberculosis at the age of 12. During his life, Pope earned a living through subscription fees of translations of Homer and Shakespeare, although his poem, The Rape of the Lock, gained some recognition in circles. Pope's poetry later gained popularity to New Critics in the 20th century as his poetry embodied the "spirit of the time." When Orlando first catches a glimpse of Pope in Virginia Woolf's Orlando, she notes his large forehead and the "weight of genius" in it (Woolf 206). Orlando praises his "wit, wisdom and truth," highlighting the admiration that she has for the poet, but as he comes into the light she realizes that he is only "despicable," "deformed and weakly" (Woolf 207). These contrasting descriptions not only connect with Pope's physical disabilities but also highlights Woolf's point that famous poets are also flawed, ordinary people. An excerpt from Pope's poem The Rape of the Lock is used by the narrator to claim that readers can then know "as if we heard him now" (209), and the narrator then validates Orlando's amusement of and admiration for Pope. Pope's place in the novel allows readers to understand the context of poets in the 18th century, Orlando's intelligence in interacting with him, and the irony of Pope's character being drawn up with dramatized biographical information by an author who is criticizing biographies. (310 word count)
"Alexander Pope." Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/alexander-pope. Woolf, Virginia. Orlando: A Biography. Mariner Books, 1973. |
Jennifer Dougherty | ||
| 1709 to 1784 |
Dr. Samuel JohnsonDr. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) [Chapter 4, pp. 98-104] is an English poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor, and author of the Dictionary of the English Language (1755). Johnson broke the mold in English dictionary writing, focusing on words of everyday usage, as well as “hard words” that earlier glossaries had concentrated on. He was the first to illustrate words with quotations from great writers like Shakespeare, and he set a standard that influenced all later English language dictionaries, (“Samuel Johnson: Who Was He, and Why Is He so Important to the English Language?”). Johnson makes an appearance in Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando. In the novel, at the end of the 18th century, Orlando spends her time trying to uncover the wisdom of the great male wits of the age, Johnson, Boswell, and Williams, but her sex make it impossible to speak freely with them. The speaker describes these three figures as “roman looking shadows” who have had a prominent influence on society and are comfortable with this. “... There was the Roman-looking rolling shadow in the big armchair—he who twisted his fingers so oddly and jerked his head from side to side and swallowed down the tea in such vast gulps. Dr. Johnson, Mr. Boswell, and Mrs. Williams—those were the shadows’ names,” (Orlando 224). This description is added to represent the influence Johnson, Boswell, and Williams have had on English society. However, Orlando takes the time to make fun of star-struck people in love with the image of intellectuals and great writers, just like she was before meeting them, (“Orlando Is the Virginia Woolf Novel We Need Right Now”). In doing so Woolf produces great satiric comedy. Virginia Woolf’s Orlando including Dr. Samuel Johnson as a character reminds the reader how sex makes it difficult for Orlando to speak freely as a woman.
Sommerlad, Joe. “Samuel Johnson: Who Was He, and Why Is He so Important to the English Language?” The Independent, 18 Sept. 2017, www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/samuel-johnson-google-doodle-who-was-he-dictionary-james-boswell-writer-publisher-wit-a7952616.html. Scutts, Joanna. “Orlando Is the Virginia Woolf Novel We Need Right Now.” Vulture, 12 Oct. 2018, www.vulture.com/2018/10/why-virginia-woolfs-orlando-feels-essential-righ.... |
Annika Barr | ||
| 1728 to 1794 |
The Adam Brothers: the Architects Who Brought Rome to Britain The Adam brothers [Chapter 5, Page 228] are Robert Adam (1728–1792) and James Adam (1732–1794). They were born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, the sons of Scotland’s most famous architect William Adam (1689–1748). Both Adam brothers made Grand Tours when they studied their art. During their tour, they amassed antiquities and drawings and brought them back home. On their return to Britain, they settled in London and started their career as architects, builders, designers, and developers, as well as suppliers of building materials. The Grand Tour greatly influenced their design. They utilized their knowledge and study of Roman antiquity, incorporated English, Scottish and French elements, and developed what we now know as the Adam style of architecture. On page 228, Chapter 5 of Orlando, Woolf describes a“ hardy country gentleman, who had sat down gladly to a meal of ale and beef in a room designed, perhaps by the brothers Adam, with classic dignity, now felt chilly.” (228) Works Cited |
Anna Wang | ||
| 1760 |
Industrialization Industrialization [Chapter 6, Page 293] was the technological shift from agrarian living towards industrial living which began in 1760. Industrialization was boosted through the development and usage of machinery in factories. This shift transformed the method small buissiness production to mass produced products. Some of the major innovations due to this technological advancement were the steam engine, petroleum, electricity, the internal-combustion engine, and the spinning jenny. Great steps in transportation and communication were made in this era as well such as “the steam locomotive, steamship, automobile, airplane, telegraph, and radio” (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica). This development of this industrialization manifested its effects in the socioeconomic order. In Orlando’s humble beginnings during the Elizabethan era, women were seen as feeble and dependent on men as well as expected to remain home giving birth and being obedient of their male authority figures. The progress of industrialization allowed women to enter the working field through factories. These places of work were reputably “dismal and highly dangerous” (White) with poor treatment from their bosses. Orphan children were also infamously sent to work in these factories and “forced to crawl through narrow spaces between fast-moving machinery” (White). This new method of expansions economically also proved to enhance methods of sales and it is clear in the later pages of the novel where the shopman is pressing and encouraging Orlando to make a purchase of napkins, dusters, towels or Irish linen (302-303). The contrast between what Orlando experienced in the 18th century as a woman and what he saw of the woman experience during the Elizabethan era is not explicitly analyzed in the text but would be interesting to look into. (276)
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Industrial Revolution.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, 1998, https://www.britannica.com/event/Industrial-Revolution. White, Matthew. “British Library.” The British Library - The British Library, British Library, 2009, https://www.bl.uk/georgian-britain/articles/the-industrial-revolution#:~.... |
Lesslye Aparicio | ||
| 1770 to 1850 |
The Life and Work of William Wordsworth William Wordsworth (1770-1850) [Chapter 6, pg. 265] was a central figure in the English Romantic revolution in poetry. He was born in the Late District of northern England and received education in the classics at Hawkshead grammar school where he began writing poetry. His career really took off when he took his first trip to France and Switzerland during his last summer as an undergraduate. He formed an interest in politics and the natural world. In 1808, he moved to Rydal Mount, near Ambleside where he lived for the rest of his life. He is known for poems such as “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'' and “Tintern Abbey,” in which his goal was to “choose incidents and situations from common life to relate or describe them…in a selection of language really used by men” (Parrish). His poems and essays contributed a new view of the relation between man and nature and highlighted his own self-exploration. In Orlando, his name is mentioned when Orlando decides to start writing again. She said that her verse, “sullen and foreign looking, the snaky flower,” would no doubt be approved by Wordsworth. Perhaps she meant that the natural imagery of “snaky flower” related to Wordsworth’s own style and preference for nature. In 1805, William’s brother, John, died. This event produced a new sobriety and restraint in Wordsworth’s poetry. By the mid-1830s, he had an established reputation by the critics and public. He was recognized in the 20th century as very important to the Romantic movement because of his appreciation for darker elements in his verse (Parrish). (262 word count)
Parrish, Stephen Maxfield. “The Recluse and the Prelude.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Wordsworth/The-Recluse-and-... Woolf, Virginia. Orlando. Mariner Books, 1956. |
Sofie Fransen | ||
| 4 Aug 1792 to 8 Jul 1822 |
The Life and Work of Percy Bysshe Shelley ["Chapter 5", pp. 261] In Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, the name Shelley is dropped in “Chapter 6” while Orlando and Shelmerdine are enjoying their married life: “…Orlando was lying in the bracken, while Shelmerdine recited Shelley (whose entire works he had by heart)…” (Woolf 261). Mary and Percy Shelley were both writers during their lives, but context clues of Shelmerdine memorizing the work hints that Woolf intended to mean Percy, who was known for his poetry as opposed to Mary who was known for her novels. Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) was the eldest son of six children within the affluent Shelley family. His higher education included Eton College, which he did not enjoy, in 1804 and then attending University College, Oxford in 1810. However, Shelley published a series of anonymous political poems that resulted in his expulsion from Oxford in 1811 (“Percy Bysshe Shelley"). As for his personal life, Shelley married Harriet Westbrook in 1810, but their relationship grew estranged, leading to a secret courtship with Mary Godwin in 1814. Shortly after Harriet’s death, Godwin and Shelley eloped in France, but they ran into financial trouble that forced them to reluctantly return to England. To get by, the couple moved in with a suspected lover of Shelley’s, Claire Clairmont, because both he and Mary were proponents of a “free love” that discouraged sexual chastity (“Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley”) In 1822 after settling in Italy, Shelley ventured out on his boat, the Don Juan, which was caught in a storm and resulted in his death. He left behind six children and a widowed Mary Shelley, who continued to pursue writing to support her family. Shelley’s work often held politically charged elements that desired for society to adopt republicanism and reform parliament to give voice to the people. In addition to his progressive views, Shelley advocated for nonviolence in political activism. His most influential political work is his poem Queen Mab (1813), which also touched on his atheist beliefs; however, Shelley did not believe in the prosecution of any religious beliefs (“Percy Bysshe Shelley"). As for his legacy, Shelley left behind many incomplete works and most of it was poorly reviewed because of the political messages within his poetry. He is best known for his works Ozymandias (1818), Ode to the West Wind (1819), and To a Skylark (1820). With the content of the greater novel in mind, Woolf ties the Romantic motifs associated with Shelley’s work with Orlando’s themes of impermanence and cultural change. (393) Work Cited: Clint, Alfred. “Percy Bysshe Shelley.” Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=Percy+Shelley&title=Spe.... “Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley. “Percy Bysshe Shelley.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/percy-bysshe-shelley. Woolf, Virginia. “Chapter 5.” Orlando: A Biography, Mariner Books, Boston, 2022, p. 227-62. |
Rachel Heckle | ||
| 1817 to 1937 |
The Succession Crisis of 1817-How Victoria Became Queen The Succession Crisis of 1817 paved the way for Queen Victoria to ascend the throne after her father dies [Chapter 5, 234-235]. George IV acted as Prince Regent as his father dealt with serious mental illness and was unfit to rule. He had one child who became Princess Charlotte, whose child would one day gain the throne. Unfortunately, Charlotte and her child died during childbirth in 1817, which resulted in a desperate 'baby race' among King George's sons so that they could produce a legitimate heir. There were four marriages which occurred in 1818 as a result, yet Edward and his wife Princess Victoria were the first to produce a legitimate heir with the birth of their daughter (Alexadrina who was known by her middle name Victoria) on May 24, 1819. Since Edward was the oldest brother to have sired an heir, his daughter took precedence in the line of succession. After George III died in 1820, George IV ascended the throne until 1830, and passed the throne to his younger childless brother William who ruled for seven years until he died on June 20, 1837. After this entire crisis of succession that caused Victoria's birth, she ascended the throne at 18. Woolf introduces Queen Victoria as the new female monarch of the 19th century and often compares her to Queen Elizabeth, the other female figurehead in the novel. The Succession Crisis of 1817 illuminates the complex nature of succession and the lengths that people would have gone to gain the throne. (253 words) Woold, Virgina. Orlando, Mariner Books 1928. “How Victoria Became Queen: The Succession Crisis of 1817.” Sky HISTORY TV Channel, https://www.history.co.uk/articles/how-victoria-became-queen. |
Emma Peters | ||
| 10 Apr 1829 to 12 Aug 1912 |
William Booth William Booth (10 April 1829 – 20 August 1912) [HISTORICAL chapter 6 pp. 273) was a Methodist preacher. He was born to a wealthy family, but the family descended into poverty by the time William reached his early teenage years. Instead of continuing in school, he went to apprentice with a pawnbroker. A few years into his apprenticeship, he converted to Christianity and became very interested in religion and scripture. After his apprenticeship ended, he moved to London and began to work for a pawnbroker. He wanted to find work as a preacher, but jobs were minimal. He was upset by this and took to openly evangelizing in the streets of London. In 1851, Booth officially joined the Methodist Reformed Church. this was a branching off of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. In April of 1852, Booth officially became a preacher for the Binfield Chapel in Clapham. In 1857, he and his family moved to the West Riding of Yorkshire where he became the preacher of Bethel Chapel. However, he wanted to freely campaign and work in evangelism. He eventulally left his preaching position to frelly evangilize. He was also interested in ethics and social issues. He started manufacturing matches, paying his employees very well. He founded his evangelic society called the Christian Mission, which would later become the Salvation Army. He spread this “Army” throughout many countries, recruiting members that wanted to follow Christ and share the gospel. He not only spread the gospel but use the Salvation Army to give humanitarian aid. He had 8 children, all of whom were involved in the Salvation Army. Word count: 327 “William Booth.” The Salvation Army, https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/about-us/international-heritage-centre/.... Woolf, Viginia. Orlando, Mariner Books. 1928. |
Emily Jacobson | ||
| 1830 to 1894 |
Christina Rosetti Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) [Historical, Ch.6, pp. 291] is an English poet considered to be one of the most successful women poets in of the Victorian era. She published numerous poetry books including, Goblin Market and other Poems (1862), The Prince's Progress (1866), A Pageant (1881), and The Face of the Deep (1882). In the world of Orlando, these works would have been written after Orlando’s transformation from a man to a woman, which took place during the 1600s. Novels, plays, poetry, and literary expression, in general, are inextricably intertwined with Orlando’s character both before and after their transformation. The written word is how Orlando processes and attempts to understand their identity and the world around them. Not only are Orlando’s personal poems, plays, and other writings important to their identity, but reading and learning about other works is integral to Orlando's continuously developing and changing identity. Orlando identifies with Christina Rossetti not only as a fellow woman poet in a male-dominated creative sphere, but also as a fellow poet wrestling with and exploring the complexity of gender in her poems: “Critical interest in Rossetti’s poetry swelled in the final decades of the twentieth century, a resurgence largely impelled by the emergence of feminist criticism; much of this commentary focuses on gender issues in her poetry and on Rossetti as a woman poet” (Poetry Foundation). With gender as one of the central themes of Orlando, Woolf’s inclusion of Christina Rossetti connects Orlando to the broader cultural conversation surrounding gender of the Victorian Era. ( 252 word count) “Christina Rossetti.” Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/christina-rossetti. Accessed March 13 2023. Woolf, Virginia. “Chapter 6.” Orlando: A Biography, Mariner Books, Boston, 2022, pp. 291. |
Samantha Rey | ||
| 1840 to 1857 |
Queen Victoria Hides her Pregnancy Queen Victoria Queen Victoria (1837 - 1901) [Chapter 5, pp. 234-235] was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 until her her death in 1901. She had the longest reign of the Victorian era at 63 years and 216 days. She would marry her first cousing Prince Albert in 1840, where they would have many children down the road. Queen Victoria was mentioned in Orlando when Orlando clarified to a widow that the Queen wore a crinoline, "Were they not all of them weak women? wearing crinolines the better to conceal the fact; the great fact; the only fact; but, nevertheless, the deplorable fact; which every modest woman did her best to deny until denial was impossible; the fact that she was about to bear a child?" (234-235). This revelation made me realize that Queen Victoria wanted to hide her pregnancy, especially since each pregancy took away her duties as queen. Victoria did not like this, she did not want pregnancy to dominate her reign ("Griffiths") So by wearing the crinoline, she essentially did not want to show sign of weakness, which goes to say that she prefers being Queen than as a mother. (197 word count) Griffiths. "Did Queen Victoria really hate being pregnant - and what was she like as a mother?" RadioTimes.com, 12 May, 2019 https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/did-queen-victoria-really-hate-being... Woold, Virgina. Orlando, Mariner Books 1928. |
Jorge Sandoval | ||
| 1841 to 1910 |
The Reign and Life King Edward VII King Edward VII King Edward VII (1841-1910) [HISTORICAL, Chapter 5, pp. 296 ] was born to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He was the second child and eldest son, and successor to Queen Victoria. He married Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863, and his second son King George V ascended the throne when their firstborn, the Duke of Clarence, died (Berry). When King Edward VII was Prince of Wales, he often traveled and visited many countries on behalf of the Queen. In 1860 he visited the United States at the invitation of President Buchanan. He was the first heir to the throne to cross the Atlantic (Royal Collection Trust). In his younger years, King Edward VII endured a strict educational agenda because his parents believed an heir to the throne should be well-educated. He had an eye for the arts and collected hundreds of artifacts from all over the world that are now exhibited in museums. He participated in many public duties during his mother's reign, although his high society lifestyle often caused his mother grief. Edward was 59 when he became King on 22 January 1901 after the death of his mother (Royal Collection Trust). The change in the monarch is reverenced by Orlando when she jumps to the 1900s (Woolf) Initially, King Edward VII was interested in a military career, but as the heir to the throne, his interest never came to fruition. Naturally, when he became king, he was most concerned with foreign affairs and military matters. King Edward VII played a role in encouraging military and naval reforms, especially the reform of the Army Medical Service. He died on 6 May 1910, aged 68, and was buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. He only reigned for 9 years, after which his son George became King. (295 word count). Berry, Ciara. “Edward VII (R.1901-1910).” The Royal Family, The Royal Household, 3 Aug. 2018, https://www.royal.uk/edward-vii. “King Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom (1841-1910).” Royal Collection Trust, Royal Collection Trust, https://www.rct.uk/collection/people/king-edward-vii-king-of-the-united-... Woolf, Viginia. Orlando, Mariner Books. 1928. |
Hope Tyler | ||
| 9 Nov 1841 |
Birth of Albert Edward VII/Wearing of Crinoline prior to his Birth Birth of Edward VII Prince Albert Edward VII (1841-1910) [Chapter 6, pp. 296] was born at Buckingham Palace on November 9 1841, he was the eldest son and second child of Queen Victoria and named after Prince Albert. It was mentioned in Orlando that the Queen Victoria wore a Crinoline as a way to hide her pregancy. It is said that she wore this because she had to stop her duties as Queen in order to watch over her children, Edward is no exception. Edward would grow up with an education but he never could have met up with his parent's expections (Wikimedia) Nevertheless he would become king on August 1902. Edward was mentioned in Orlando when Orlando went to Park Lane and saw carriages without horses and the sky having changed and saw the King himself. "It was no longer so thick, so watery, so prismatic now that King Edward—see, there he was, stepping out of his neat brougham to go and visit a certain lady opposite—had succeeded Queen Victoria" (296). (167 word count) “Edward VII.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Mar. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_VII Woold, Virgina. Orlando, Mariner Books 1928.
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Jorge Sandoval | ||
| 1858 to 1858 |
The Great Stink 1858 Within Virginia Woolf's Orlando she refers to London's great stink in the end of the fourth chapter, "...London, was a stark gallows tree, with a corpse nailed to rot or patch on its cross; for danger and insecurity, lust and violence, poetry and filth swarmed over the torturous Elizabethan highways and buzzed and stank--Orlando could remember even now the smell if them on the hot night," (224-225). The language describes the summer in London to remembered for its unbearable smell. This graphic reference is towards the summer of 1858 that Parliament was forced to deal with the issue of plumbing, as temperatures rose the waste left across the city slowly began to strangle the citizens. The smell of sewage became unbearable due to almost 2 million Londoners' human waste poured into the Thames river. The summer temperatures reached a high of 35 degrees celsius (95 degrees fahrenheit). Due to the conditions it became a newsworthy event, and is still remembered as the Great Stink of 1858. Orlando shared at the end of the fourth chapter how she could remember the smell even till that moment. It wasn't remedied completely until the year 1859 according to history.co.uk, and took many different chemicals poured straight into the water supply in order for the smell to go away. This made the river the most polluted in the world. The sewage system that was created due to this issue is still in place in London today! (245) |
Hannah Jensen | ||
| 1865 |
The Salvation Army William Booth, a Methodist clergyman who started an evangelistic ministry in London's East End in 1865, formed the Salvation Army. In order to feed and shelter the needy, he constructed mission stations. The Christian Mission received its current name in 1878. William Booth took issue with the statement "The Christian Mission... is a Volunteer Army" in the annual report for that year. By swapping out the word "volunteer," The Salvation Army gained a fresh name and an ingenious metaphor for its work exposing social injustices and educating people about God. Throughout time, the organization acquired military-style titles (ministers called "officers," for instance), as well as attire meant to symbolize devotion to God in public.Along with his son, William Bramwell Booth, he eventually fashioned the Army after a military structure, serving as general for life. It swiftly spread across Britain before becoming global. The Salvation Army was active in more than 130 nations and other political entities at the start of the twenty-first century, preaching the gospel and running thousands of evangelistic centers, hospitals, schools, and other organizations.
Woolf, Virginia. Orlando: A Biography. Harcourt Brace & Company, 1928.
The Salvation Army's International Headquarters Communications. (n.d.). Transforming lives since 1865 – the story of the Salvation Army so far. Transforming lives since 1865 – The story of The Salvation Army so far. Retrieved March 14, 2023, from https://story.salvationarmy.org/ |
Verinia Gillebaard | ||
| circa. 1900 |
The Making of Tottenham Court Road The Manor House of Tottenhall Tottenham Court Road [HISTORICAL, Chapter 4, pp. 204] has been around since the 13th century, with remains from medieval and Tudor walls that serve as evidence of the road's long-lasting use. An Elizabethan manor house of Tottenhall once stood facing what would become Tottenham Court Road. After its demolition in the 18th century, the name of the road changed to Tottenham Court, and the lane from St Giles Parish became Tottenham Court Road, located in central London (Hidden London). The change from ‘Tottenhall’ to ‘Tottenham’ was encouraged because the public was more familiar with the north London district, although the manor had no connection with that place. In the late 18th century and into the 19th century, Tottenham Court Road was known for the manufacture of furniture, particularly cabinets. Piano-making eventually went into practice around several of the workshops on and near the road and could have been similar to the busy road described by Virginia Woolf in Orlando. Built in 1896 in Art Nouveau Gothic style, the surviving architectural highlight of the west side is the Rising Sun pub. Tottenham Court Road’s Central line station opened in 1900, and the Northern line stations all opened in 1907. The opening of the line stations was significant because they connected the road to the rest of London, and traveling to farther areas of the city became more efficient. Furniture retailing thrived alongside the manufacturing industry. Several popular retail stores were developed between the 1910s and 1920s. Over the years, breweries, opera houses, and cinemas have made their home on the road based on the needs of society. It has even been the road that led to a bunker for General Eisenhower, who directed the Allied forces’ liberation of Western Europe. The bunker is now used for the secure storage of documents and data (Hidden London) (302 words). “Tottenham Court Road.” Hidden London, Hidden London, 2023, https://hidden-london.com/gazetteer/tottenham-court-road/. Woolf, Virginia. Orlando, Mariner Books. 1928. |
Hope Tyler |