UVU Victorian Literature and Politics for the Present (Fall 2020) Dashboard
Description
The Victorian period was one of great change for Britain. Comprised of the years of Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-1901), it featured the rapid industrialization and urbanization of Britain, and the radical expansion of the British empire. Although these changes improved the quality of life for some Victorians, many more were forced to work under inhumane conditions, live in unsanitary and insalubrious environments, or suffered the violent oppressions of colonial rule. While we may think of the Victorian period as a distant, different era, this class argues that Victorians faced some of the same issues we deal with today, including systemic racism, opioid addiction, ecological disasters, and public health crises, to name but a few.
“Victorian Literature and Politics for the Present” revisits texts both familiar and new - canonical and not - through the lens of current events. Addressing a range of genres, this course examines historical and philosophical trends that shaped the era’s literature and were shaped by it. Specifically, it will explore how the Victorians addressed, and sometimes avoided, issues of racial oppression, class conflict, public welfare, and imperial plunder. Moreover, it will consider what parallels and throughlines we can draw between the Victorian era and the twenty-first century and contemplate the value of continuing to study Victorian authors and texts today.
Galleries, Timelines, and Maps
Individual Entries
This carefully crafted building was built in 1870-71, and is "...one of the largest surviving provincial clubhouses in the country." The archietect for the building was Edward Salomons, who possessed a great love of "surface decoration." The decor present on the Reform Club is unique. While most clubs chose to go for a classical style, Salomon sculpted the club in a more gothic manner. The outside of the building depicts three sculpted female figures, all representative of the science, art, and agriculture. The most important figure, perhaps, for Manchester itself was the agriculture figure, who is shown "with her loom, shuttle and bolts of beautifully figured textiles." Textiles, were, of course, the cornerstone of the economy in Manchester. However, historians make a point that each figure bears important weight in the history of Manchester, since it is believed the figures were sculpted to represent "the whole spectrum of progress." All in all, the Reform Club is...
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