Introduction to the Victorian Age

Reading:

Introduction to the Victorian Age (1830-1901)

Queen Victoria and the Victorian Temper / A Time of Troubles (1830-1848) / Economic Prosperity, the Growth of Empire, and Religious Controversy (1848-1870) / Decay of Victorian Values (1870-1901) / The Role of Women / Literacy, Publication, and Reading / The Novel
Thomas Carlyle / John Henry Newman / John Stuart Mill / Charles Dickens

Objectives

To cultivate an understanding of the development of English literature during this period
To understand the texts from both literary and historical standpoints, including:as developing out of a new language and cultureas elaborating on previous texts and ideasas generating new language and ideasas sources for later literature, both as context and allusionthe poetic and thematic structures
To be able to define key terms relative to the texts and period

Reading

The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol. 2

Introduction to the Victorian Age (pages 979-1001)

Thomas Carlyle: “Captains of Industry” (pages 1029-1033)

John Henry Newman:

From The Idea of a University

“Knowledge Its Own End” (pages 1035-1036)”Knowledge Viewed in Relation to Professional Skill” (pages 1036-1041)”Knowledge Viewed in Relation to Religion” (pages 1041-1042) John Stuart Mill: From

On Liberty

“Of Individuality as One of the Elements of Well-Being” (pages 1051-1060) Charles Dickens: “A Visit to Newgate” (pages 1239-1248)
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Your text offers a section entitled â€œVictorian Issuesâ€ (beginning on page 1538). In this section of the textbook, the ideas of evolution, industrialism, and national identity are specifically addressed, among others. For this submission, you should carefully re-read your assigned texts for this lesson and then answer the following questions. You may want to (but are not required to) read through some of the selected texts for each of the Victorian issues in order to clarify your understanding.

What do the assigned readings from Carlyle, Newman, Mill, and Dickens have in common?
Do the authors have similar or differing viewpoints?
Considering the issues listed above (evolution, industrialism, national identity) or others you may have identified while reading the introduction to the Victorian Age in your text, what issues do the assigned readings address? (A reading may fall into more than one category.)
How are these readings particularly Victorian in the issues they address and the way they view these issues?

Your response to these questions should reflect your understanding of the period so far. Type your response in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced and submit it here. Your response should be in coherent paragraph form with a unifying idea. (50 points)