THE DAILY VICTORIAN
Victorian 2015
CONTENTS Departments Leila Z. Exploring Charlotte Bronte and the semi-autobiographical novel, Jane Eyre
Dominique N. Discover art, poetry and music of the Victorian era
Jenna D. Dress the best: Victorian Woman style
Jenna D. The top trends and latest fashions of the era
Anastasiya T. Investigate the conditions of the worksites and workplaces
All Resources and bibliography
THE DAILY VICTORIAN Life of Charlotte Brontë By: Leila Zaki There are numerous factors that play an important role in our lives regarding how we act, think, speak and interpret information. People around an individual become greatly affected by what one says, acts and feels. An author’s life, in particular, can greatly influence the plot, creation of characters, and setting of their novels and stories. The past experiences, trials and tribulations, hardships and lessons that the author may have been exposed to affects the motives and theme of their stories. When an individual reads and analyzes the aspects of a novel or story, insight is often gained on the life and experiences of the author. The life of Charlotte Brontë is directly reflected in the semi-autobiographical novel Jane Eyre in multiple ways through the plot, setting and characters because of her childhood, education and life experiences.
Charlotte Brontë was born third of six children to Patrick Brontë and Maria Branwell. Similarly to Jane Eyre, Brontë lost her mother at a young age, leaving the six children to be taken care of by Elizabeth Brontë. August of 1824, the Brontë daughters were sent off to the Clergy Daughters’ School
at Cowan Bridge in Lancashire. The setting and harsh conditions of the school were used as a basis for the Lowood School that Jane attended in the novel. The conditions of the Clergy Daughters’ school that Brontë attended permanently affected her physical development and health. Brontë lost two sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, to tuberculosis contracted because of their unsanitary life at the charity school. The novel reflected these experiences through Jane Eyre’s lack of food and warm clothes which impeded her growth and caused the girls to fall victim to various diseases and viruses because of their low immune systems, just like Brontë and her sisters. Following these deaths, Charlotte returned home and acted as a “motherly friend and guardian of her younger sisters.” Throughout their childhood, Brontë and her surviving siblings created fictional realms and Byronic stories and narrated the lives of the natives of their imaginary kingdoms. The tales they wrote created an obsession whilst preparing them for literary aptitudes in their adulthood. The Byronic tales that Brontë wrote may have influenced the characterization and creation of the Byronic hero character of Mr. Edward Rochester of Thornfield in the novel. In addition, Charlotte’s love for writing was reflected through Jane’s love of books and on many accounts, we find Jane reading books during her childhood at Gateshead. Helen Burns was a fellow student at Lowood with Jane whom taught her biblical life lessons about forgiving those who act unjustly towards Jane. Following the death of Helen, Jane spent six more years as a student and at age sixteen, she became a teacher.Likewise, Brontë came to know her lifelong friends Ellen Nussey and Mary Taylor while she continued her studies at Roe Head in Mirfield. Three years later, Brontë returned
to the school to take up a teacher position for next three years. Throughout her young adult years, Brontë became governesses to many families in Yorkshire. John Benson Sidgwick, a boisterous child in the Sidgwick family that employed Brontë, occasionally threw books, like the Bible, at Charlotte. This occurrence most likely would have been the catalyst for the opening scene in the novel where John Reed smacked young Jane with a book.
Charlotte’s personality and character is analogous to that of Jane Eyre’s. Brontë, being raised in a strict home, was said to be the most dominant and ambitious of her family. In the novel, when Jane’s character is analyzed, it is very similar to Charlotte’s. Jane was very quick to stand up for herself; she was strong and endured many hardships through her journeys. She was ambitious due to her needs and desires; everywhere she went, she was striving to be equal and respected by the people around her.
Charlotte and her sister, Emily, continued on the education field. They travelled to Brussels to enroll at a boarding school; however, their time there was cut short because of the death of their aunt Elizabeth Branwell whom looked after the Brontë children after their mother’s death. Even though there are no known accounts of Brontë’s aunt being as abusive and cruel on Charlotte like aunt Reed was to Jane, this event could have immortalized the creation of Mrs. Reed in the novel. Blanche Ingram, in the novel, was used as a tactic by Mr. Rochester to make Jane jealous and, furthermore, to make Jane fall more in love with him. Regardless of this, Blanche was never a suitable match for Mr. Rochester due to the rumor of his lack of money that extinguished her desires for him. In the same fashion, Charlotte received and initially declined a proposal from a curate by the name of Arthur Bell Nicholls. Brontë‘s father expressed his disapproval of Nicholls because of his insolvency and poor financial status. The attraction between Jane and Mr. Rochester became increasingly strong in like manner to Charlotte and Arthur. Brontë gained her father’s approval and they married in June comparably to Jane and Mr.Rochester.
I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will. ●●●
Music, Poetry and Art of the 19th Century By: Dominique Niziol During the Victorian Era, England was going through many major cultural changes as well as a radical social upheaval. Different styles of literature and art were undergoing many modifications. The Romantic Movement was becoming very popular and it portrayed the thirst for
THE DAILY VICTORIAN knowledge and power. Romanticism was formed from the basis that it went against precise rules, the intellectualism of the enlightenment and austerity of the social structures during the beginning of the 1800’s. All forms of media such as music, poetry and art all play a significant role in influencing people in the way they see and respond to the world. William Blake, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Wordsworth and George Gordon Byron are all very well known romantic poets during the reign of Queen Victoria. Romanticism contains no boundaries, but it acknowledges emotions and the individual rather than reason and societal expectations. The Romantic Movement swept all through Europe but it had its greatest influence on England. The 19th century was the most significant period in time for English literature, it took a drastic turn and it presented a great variety in style, theme and content. The most significant and conspicuous element of Victorian poetry was their use of sensory elements. The poets would most often use vivid imagery so that it would convey the clash between science and religion with nature and romance. This caused an immense amount of backlash and controversy over its principles. As the Romantic Movement began to progress rules regarding the theme, structure and content of poetry began to liberate poets. During the 18th century there were strict rules set in place that confined the art of poetry but by the 19th century experimentation with a new form of literature was tolerable. During the time of the Victorian Era, Britain was striving as there was an increase in industrial manufacturing, population and economic prosperity. These were the times
where art was able to excel greatly. Artists were able to express their creativity with paintings which would display a sharp contrast of vibrant colors. As well, women were the center of an artistic form called the Aesthetic Movement. Their bodies were naked rather than clothed and this demonstrated a feminine desire. Ingres and Delacroix were the 2 main artists known for their use of neoclassicism. Neoclassicism paintings involve no emotion which would later on begin to clash with romanticism. These two artists influenced generations of painters to incorporate their own personal feelings rather than the political ideals during the 19th century. Artists of the 19th century began challenging the society’s philosophy of science, religion and evidence. Romantics focused mainly on free expression, emotion, and imagery which they tried to portray in their works. JMW Turner, Caspar David Friedrich and Thomas Cole are just a few examples of Romantic artists. They all used certain pigments in their works which would display and create a mood for the audience. Music took a radical turn during the 1800’s; it went from the classical period which had strict rules and many restrictions to the Romantic Period which valued creativity, and freedom. The huge difference between the classical and the romantic period caused the key factor to be the melody. New instruments created new and different sounds which were being added to their compositions. The composers of the 19th century began attempting different forms of music such as a symphonic poem which is an orchestral piece of work that displays a story. They also began experimenting with the length of their compositions, difference in tones and the harmony. Frederic Chopin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van
Beethoven are just a few of many great, successful and widely known composers. Music, as well as poetry and art went against all the rules and restrictions put in place at the time and it emphasized having an emotional connection the different art forms. The romantics admired and appreciated the values other than what was accepted in the society. There was a huge controversy between scientific reasoning and using other forms of literature, art and music that would incorporate emotions which would affect their audience.
Fashion in the 1800’s By: Jenna Durante Fashion in the 1800’s was very classic, whimsical, and elegant. Women wore dresses and men wore suits as everyday attire. Clothing and the way one dresses in the 1800’s was based on wealth and how much money a family had. The more money you had, the nice clothes you were able to afford. The rich wore better fabrics and brighter colours whereas the poor did not have the wealth for such things therefore they wore whatever they could afford. Women wore layers upon layers of clothing underneath their dresses accompanied by a bonnet on their head. Women’s fashion was constantly changing throughout this century from huge full skirts to a more fitted silhouette and the hats that women wore on a daily basis. Fashion in this era was very unique and used as a status symbol. The way women dressed in the era of the 1800’s was very much reflected on the woman’s personality, status, and role in society. The dresses of this era were very
extravagant. In the early 1800’s, women’s fashion started off with light, flowing dresses. As this era went on, dresses became heavier, sleeves became puffier, and skirts became fuller. Wool and linen were the most common fabrics used for dresses whereas silk and cotton were most commonly worn by the rich due to the fact that these fabrics were more expensive. As of the early 1800’s, most dresses were worn in pastel colours. The colours of these dresses were made from completely natural products such as berries, mosses, leaves, and lichens. Before the “pre-hoop” era, the skirts of women’s dresses were held up by many layers of petticoats. Petticoats of this era were made of mainly horse hair or stiffened with cane and padding. In this era, the silhouettes of the dresses were wide at the shoulders, narrowed at the waist to accentuate the tight waist, and then again flowed out from the waist due to the numerous petticoats. Evening dresses of the “pre-hoop” era were different than morning dresses. Morning dresses were more conservative and covered up with long sleeves and high necks whereas the evening dresses were worn off the shoulders. Moving into the “hoop” era, the cage crinoline was reinvented. The hoop was round in shape and gathered at the back of the dress. The skirt of the dresses of the hoop era became layered. The jacket bodice also became very popular in this time period. Around 1863, the round hoop became more of an elliptical shape. Also around the hoop era, Spanish style jackets became popular and soon became the latest trend of women’s fashion. The jacket could have been long or cropped and most commonly worn over a blouse.
THE DAILY VICTORIAN two-piece coat was still very popular and attached to every garment.
Once the “hoop” era had lost its popularity, it had become replaced with a framework known as bustle. The shapes of these dresses were very full and gathered at the front and even fuller at the back and were floor length. Overskirts, or tunics, became a must have fashion look of this time period. Most bodices ended at the natural waist in which the tunic would then be fitted over top and showing with a belt or a bow tied at the back. A basque, or very short overskirt, soon grew to be popular and became attached to the bodice and the bodice became to expand past the waist and over the hips. In 1873, the polonaise was introduced and quickly became very popular. A polonaise is essentially like a bodice and an overskirt all in one and came in many different shapes and styles. Shortly after the introduction of the polonaise, the skirts of women’s dresses became narrower at the front. In addition, sleeves also became narrower although not completely tight to the wrist and attached with very complicated and heavy pieces that extended almost as far as the elbow. The fabrics of these attachments were constructed of the contrasting fabric of the bodice. The
In 1875, the bustle became to diminish but the excess fabric remained and acted as sort of a train to women’s dresses. This made the dresses appear in a more vertical and natural form. The neckline was often worn high with a collar or in a v-neck style with a chemisette underneath. The shoulder line remained just passed the natural shoulder lines and full sleeves were filled with a linen cuff. Many petticoats were worn under the skirt to stop it from trailing in dust. Also, new introductions to women’s dresses were the idea of a pocket although they were often too low and too far back to be of any practical use. This trend, however, only lasted about a year. By 1877, the bustle had completely disappeared. The pouf in the skirt had lowered to behind the knees with little or no padding. The bodice became smoother fitting in a natural look. This style was know Cuirass. The dresses of this time period became more fitted and clung to the legs which became a huge trend. Dresses gathered at the back and had somewhat of a train. The fitted silhouette gave the appearance of a tall slim figure which became considerably fashionable. Necklines for day dresses during this time frame became more conservative. Every year the skirts became narrower and more fitted. After about 5 years of this trend, the bustle came back! With the silhouette till very vertical, the back ballooned over a bustle framework. The front of the dress, however, remained fitted. Waist line then moved back to above the hips and the idea of bead work at the front of the dress started to become
popular to cover the flat portions of this garment. Now in this time frame a huge change had happened. Evening dresses were often worn without sleeves! Soon, poufs and drapes became an art form itself. Evening gowns had had the pouf lifted even higher. A more tailored look appears with an even more conservative style of having almost every dress with a collar.
Victorian era fashion was a period of beautiful and elegant pieces that expressed many things such as wealth and societal roles. There were many different changes throughout this decade that made these pieces even more extravagant. 1800’s fashion was truly an iconic era.
Around 1890, the bustle disappeared and for good this time! Although the skirt remained still very asymmetrical in the front, the back had lost a significant amount of pouf. During this decade, the focused switched from the skirt to the bodice. Shoulders of the dresses began to expand. Frills and collars widened at the shoulder whilst the hem of the dresses were padded and help out with petticoats. Sleeves are puffed and boned however below the elbow still remains fitted. Evening gowns of this decade included a tight corset to achieve the fashionable small waist look. Sleeves had reached their maximum volume and skirts had changed slightly to a position where it was more fitted at the hips then flared out slightly at the knee down to the hem. By 1899, sleeves had slimmed down considerable to a more fitted, shoulder pad look style. Hats in the Victorian era were worn almost on a daily basis and were a very popular fashion piece. During the Victorian era, there was a variety of different styles of hats such as bonnets and morning caps. Victorian hats were most commonly decorated with feathers, flowers, ribbons, and frills. However the most commonly used decoration were feathers. Most women of this era wore bonnets most days if not every day.
Step 1: start by “stocking up”
How to dress like a Victorian woman in 11 easy steps!
Bare legs in this time period are considered to be passionately frowned upon so stockings are a must! Step 2: Black is always better when it comes to footwear! From the 18609’s to the 1890’s, black boots or shoes were considered the norm. Step 3: Gloves are your best friend! Not only were gloves seen as a very classy piece, they also served a duel purpose in sending messages. For example, if a man came to talk to you, tapping your chin indicated that you loved another. Step 4: Get yourself a collection of fans. Essential to any Victorian ladies closet! Step 5: Dresses evolved quite a bit, so pick your favorite decade! Stock up on whatever style of dress you love best! Step 6: Loose hair is for kids. Keeping your high nice and close to your head shows elegance and class. Curls are the way to go! Step 7: Ditch the tanning beds! Fair skin was sought after by many women. If you have a fair complexion, be thankful! Step 8: Less is always more!
THE DAILY VICTORIAN Keep your makeup to a bare minimum. In this era, only actresses and prostitutes wore heavy makeup to attract attention. Less is always more ladies! Step 9: hats, hats, hats! Going out? Throw on your best hat, feathers and all. You wouldn’t want to be caught dead in public without a form of headgear! Step 10: Diamonds are a girl’s best friend! When it comes to jewelry, Queen Victoria has the best pointers. Her Majesty single handily popularized charm bracelets, charm necklaces, and a whack load of other adornments! Step 11: Beware, Corsets are a must! Corsets can restrict breathing but the hourglass figure is totally worth it! Tiny waist? Who wouldn’t want that?
Workplaces in the 19th century By: Anastasiya Tarasevich Work in the 1800’s did not in the least oppose to child exploitation, segregation, and antagonizing “masters.” The novel Jane Eyre written by Charlotte Brontë explores all these different situations through the eyes of a middle class governess: Jane Eyre. From early childhood we join Jane on her life’s journey, visualizing first-hand how aspects of her current society demonstrated the extreme differences in their levels of society. Children in the age of Victorian society were taught from birth to obey their elders and do the work in front of them without question. And like most children (with the fear of physical punishment as a consequence), they quietly learned to do the
task in front of them without question. The problem with this system is it, from the very beginning, discouraged children from speaking up, from having a voice against their unjust and wrongful treatment. Kids were easy labourers to get, and even easier to maintain; they did not fight back, nor did they complain; for there was no one to listen to them. The exact same kinds of treatments were carried out at Lowood. Girls were not trained for jobs, however they were taught in these exact ways, of plain memorization, and punishments to reinforce the knowledge. Teachers thought the girls as pests; while the girls just tried to avoid the punishments they could receive. Now as oppose to the normal maturity difference between children and adults, the teachers at Lowood treated the children as nuisances that need to be straightened out and able to behave as mature 30 something year olds. This view point undoubtedly symbolizes the different levels of society, where the teachers thought they were there to bring order to girls that were there just because of the money their caretakers paid.
Segregation by definition is the “the separation or isolation of a race, class, or ethnic group by enforced or voluntary residence in a restricted area.” During the 19th century segregation played a big part towards the labour force. Jobs such as maids, housekeepers, gardeners, etcetera; were all under control of a “master.” The head of the house as some would say. The boss could very easily tell them what to do, without a concern.
But there was not just the separation of boss to employee; there was the noticeable distinction between housekeepers and maids. In the novel Jane Eyre, the house keeper Mrs. Fairfax, from the beginning tells Jane that she does not talk to the maids as she would to her. All of these different levels of classes show a very strict hierarchy, that all of its participants yearn to climb. Because of this difference, people had more control over one another, people with lower status quo followed orders from people at the top of the societal pyramid. As Mrs. Fairfax is the boss to Grace Poole, one of the maids; Mr. Rochester is the boss to Mrs. Fairfax. In modern day work there is still a divide between jobs such as maids and hotel owners. However now there is equality on the treatment of all these people. The salary is not quite as diverse between employee and employer. Nowadays there is that divide, but only for the purpose of the job. Once the work hours are over everyone becomes equal. Now speaking of Mr. Rochester, back in the Victorian era, Masters came in all shapes, sizes and personalities. Whether you worked for one that was welcoming and understanding, or moody and brute was up to you. IN the 19th century it was thought that if you had a master, he was in charge of you. He was the one who told you what t do, he was the one that could fire you, or the one that could make it a perfect job opportunity. In the book, Mr. Rochester, the head of the household at Thornfield, was described at moody and changeful. He was not abusive in anyway but if he was in a spiteful mood, every resident at Thornfield would watch out for their actions. Sadly for the workers of the 19th century, he was thought of as a good master. Meaning there were ones that would punish their employers for simple human error using
all sorts of reprimands. The relations between employer and employee to this degree of master and maid happen to be by far the biggest differences of levels of society. In the book you see people like Jane, who try to talk to the maids at Thornfield, engage them in conversation, make friendly small talk. And you see people like Blanch Ingram, who during her entire stay at the Hall of Thornfield would never give up the opportunity to hand out appropriate commands for all. During the night with the gypse at Mr. Rochester’s party, we see Blanche constantly yelling at Sam (one of the butlers) Blanche does not care for her harsh tone, nor for her commands that she could have performed herself. It is very clearly shown how little she cares for anyone who is below her in society, as she is also takes time to yell at Adele, a child for mistaking the arrival of Mr. Rochester. Blanch believes that she is doing nothing wrong when she performs all these tasks, due to the society norm at the time. People found it not only wrong but something they sound do to help correct the behaviour of others. Not ever taking into account that the inequality displayed in this is not only unjust, but almost cruel. Victorian society had many wonderful aspects to it, from the fashion to the art, to the music. However one thing that they could have done without was the enormous separation between classes of wealthy and poor, employer and employee. This difference of classes brought unnecessary power fluctuations throughout the world, as people forgot about equality and thought about themselves. The novel Jane Eyre dealt with many different situations which laid these differences out very clearly. Victorian society has time and time again specific examples of their separation of classes.
THE DAILY VICTORIAN
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