Deciding not to finish his degree, and choosing to study abroad, Fitzhenry visits these places. His travels are reminiscent of the practice of the “Grand Tour:” a trip through Europe taken by upper-class young men in the 17th through 19th centuries. It was associated with an educational rite of passage and reserved for young men coming from backgrounds of wealth and rank.

“Once on the continent [of Germany], the mania of traveling seized him. He visited Italy, Poland, and Russia: he bent his wayward steps from north to south, as the whim seized him.” (86)

Deciding not to finish his degree, and choosing to study abroad, Fitzhenry visits these places. His travels are reminiscent of the practice of the “Grand Tour:” a trip through Europe taken by upper-class young men in the 17th through 19th centuries. It was associated with an educational rite of passage and reserved for young men coming from backgrounds of wealth and rank.

“Once on the continent [of Germany], the mania of traveling seized him. He visited Italy, Poland, and Russia: he bent his wayward steps from north to south, as the whim seized him.” (86)

Deciding not to finish his degree, and choosing to study abroad, Fitzhenry visits these places. His travels are reminiscent of the practice of the “Grand Tour:” a trip through Europe taken by upper-class young men in the 17th through 19th centuries. It was associated with an educational rite of passage and reserved for young men coming from backgrounds of wealth and rank.

“Once on the continent [of Germany], the mania of traveling seized him. He visited Italy, Poland, and Russia: he bent his wayward steps from north to south, as the whim seized him.” (86)

Jena is home of a university that served as a hub of early German Romanticism. In 1794, the poets Goethe and Schiller met at the university. Goethe was an important figure to Shelley and her Romantic circle. 

“After two years spent at Oxford, instead of remaining to take his degree, Fitzhenry made an earnest request to be permitted to visit his friend, who was then at Jena.” (86)

Established around 1096, Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest university in continuous operation in the whole world. Around the 19th century, students were required to take an exam in their first year that focused on classical languages. This further speaks to the aristocratic privilege Fitzhenry experienced — and, as he does not finish his degree, the little care he has for this access.

Eton College is boys boarding school established in 1440 by Henry VI. Initially established to provide free schooling for poor boys, with the intent for them to continue their education at the King’s College, Eton is known for being a prestigious, wealthy, and historical school. Many of its alumni are notable and influential. Shelley’s choice to have Fitzhenry go to school here speaks to Lodore’s societal status and financial means. It also shows early signs of Fitzhenry’s pride and dissatisfaction with society.

There are many mentions of Longfield in relation to Elizabeth, with it being their childhood home. I could not find very good passages that referred to this location in relation to Fitzhenry’s childhood, though. The closest reference is at the death of his father, which is detailed later. So, I am assuming this was also Fitzhenry’s childhood home.