Victorian Society And Its Harsh Treatment Of The Upper Class

Through Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens criticises Victorian society and its extremely harsh treatment of the lower class. It went out of its way to create any possible divide between the two social classes, middle and lower classes, to suppress and even eliminate the poor. It was not done in a way that would improve living conditions of the lower class but in the way that would physically and morally destroy the people that belonged to it. This mental divide created two very distinct spaces in London’s society which strived to contain lower class in one controlled space and denounce the ability to improve their lives and possibly move up the social ladder. Whelan Lara Baker, a college professor who specializes in Victorian Era society, writes in her article that rise of Victorian suburb was an important event in middle-class society that was created with two controversial desires: to eliminate any relationship or contact with the urban lower-class and at the same time maintain a compulsory contact with the financial aspect of the urban London.(Baker) Members of the lower class, on the other hand, were contained in the city and started their lives in the workhouses, institutions that the Victorian middle class, with the help of the Parliament, established to raise poor children. According to a historian Dr. Ruth Richardson, in 1834 the Parliament passed The Poor Law Act. The aim of the law was to create a system that would provide refuge, food and clothing as a payment forShow MoreRelatedCharlotte Bronte: The Social Critic1732 Words   |  7 Pageshad a similar effect upon the mindset of Victorian society, as its publication ended the silence on social justice and set off an ‘eruption’, leading to sweeping reforms. The novel revolves around the moral and spiritual journey of Jane Eyre, an orphan who values freedom and struggles to break free of Victorian-era standards. Brontà « satirizes these standards through her portrayal of the lower classes, mental illness, and orphans. Jane is critical of Victorian England society’s devaluation of peopleRead MoreTheme Of Oppression In Jane Eyre1088 Words   |  5 Pagesand class division as a means of maintaining a certain degree of order within their society. In the early nineteenth century, England was undergoing rapid change as the industrial revolution began to sweep through the country. With this rapid change brought on further gender, and social class divisions centered upon education, employment, and marriage. Both women, and the lower class were heavily oppressed during the time period, as they were deemed inferior to the more wealthy, upper class membersRead MoreCharlotte Bronte ´s Jane Eyre: A Victorian Criticism737 Words   |  3 PagesThe Victorian Era, lasting from 1832 until 1901, was a period of British history during the reign of Queen Victoria. This era contained the industrial revolution, which aided in the creation of a large middle class. It is well known for its many injustices, suc h as its rigid social class structure, mistreatment of the poor, and strict gender roles. Victorian authors, such as Charles Dickens, Matthew Arnold, George Elliot, and the Bronte sisters criticized these injustices in their works. CharlotteRead MoreThe Upbringing Of Orphans By Charles Dickens And Jane Eyre1714 Words   |  7 PagesThe 19th century Victorian era contrasted of different social classes; the wealthy, the working and the poor classes, which led to the forms of social order in society. It also encompassed some of the most famous literary works that till today impact the lives of many, and leads readers to wonder about the injustices of the conditions of the orphans. The novels Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens 1838 and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 1847 depicted much of the 19th century working class and illustratedRead MoreInequality And Consumption On Pygmalion And Goblin Market1637 Words   |  7 PagesMarket Literary works, in Victorian England, became a tool in expanding the way people thought and behaved, outside of societal bounds. Authors who wrote about these works had recurring themes focused on the inequality of females in their respective roles. George Shaw and Christina Rossetti are pivotal writers who provide awareness of gender roles and how they function within society. Their stories explore the morality and economic exchange playing different roles in class systems. With this notionRead MoreOpium and the Industrial Revolution Essay1474 Words   |  6 Pagesenvironment for a new social class to emerge from urban squalor. During the Industrial Revolution a group of citizens who breathed polluted air, drank toxic water, worked fourteen-hour days in dimly lit factories and lived in close quarters. This group is known as the working class. In Karl Marx’s Manifesto of the Communist Party he predicted that the development of Modern Industry cuts from under its feet the very foundation on which the bourgeoisie (the upper class) produces and appropriates productsRead MoreEssay on The Portrayal of the Under Classes in Oliver Twist1171 Words   |  5 Pagesmaster criminal he is not, maybe he is just a poor Jew, dependant on poor children. Although Fagin is not an upper-class citizen, he is neither poor. The success of his business does pay off he sat down; and took from it a magnificent gold watch, sparkling with jewels. As a result Fagin is able to live life pretty much as he wants to. Although Fagin is a higher class than the children, including Oliver, he doesnt abuse his power for the sakes of it. The workhouse masterRead MoreThe Social Hierarchy Of Jane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte1262 Words   |  6 Pagesthan use the normal class structures, the book suggests that a person of impoverished means can be viewed as socially respectable with the condition that they maintain a sincere desire to better both oneself and their means of living. The novel highlights the significance of class consciousness and how one particular class can become subjective to the hands of the dogmatic elites. The derogative attitudes regarding social class first occurs when Jane suffers horrible treatment from John Reed. HeRead MoreSocial Injustices Portrayed Through Characterization And Imagery2515 Words   |  11 PagesImagery The Industrial Revolution of the Victorian Era was a time of development and underdevelopment. While the technology was improving, the social class structure and treatment of the underprivileged were not improving. Social injustices of the time were often overlooked, but there are many Victorian writers that wrote social commentaries regarding to these issues and Charles Dickens is one of them. Dickens sympathizes with the underprivileged of the society because he had experienced the injusticeRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution Of The Victorian Era2569 Words   |  11 Pages The Industrial Revolution of the Victorian Era was a time of development and underdevelopment. While the technology was improving, the social class structure and treatment of the underprivileged stayed the same. Social injustices at the time were often overlooked, but there were many Victorian writers, including Charles Dickens that wrote social commentaries regarding to these issues. Dickens sympathizes with so ciety’s underprivileged because he had experienced similar injustices as a child. His