The Victorian Era was a time period between 1837-1901 that was romanticized in many films and articles because of its eye-catching fashion, literature, and life of different classes in society. Although the surface may have seemed interesting and exciting, there are many secrets held beneath the big wigs, ball gowns, and extravagant parties. The pressure of society’s standards, lack of advanced technology, and rising sickness lingered among people’s daily life. Understanding life in the Victorian Era helps recognize the progression society has had since then and how it has impacted individuals’ lives.
Daily Life and Forbidden Relationships
If you think social acceptance is hard today imagine what it was like during an era where society only lived one way. A society where no one believes in change. Society expected everyone to be in a marriage with the male taking the bigger role, such as working hands-on jobs, while the women were expected to stay at home and take care of the household. Males always were expected to take on the more dominant role, while women were specially seen as housekeepers and a caretaker for the family. Social rank was the top priority during this era. Wanting different relations and stepping outside of gender boundaries was not an option. This relationship was seen as a sexuality crisis. The double standards were obvious and in present time today, that wouldn’t stand a chance. There are many people showing emotion and expression towards who they prefer to be in a relationship with and that in it self shows how much acceptance in society has changed.
The Dangers of the work Life in the Victorian Era
Work-life during this era was worse than you can imagine. The most common jobs for families during this time were jobs that were in coal mines or factories. These places led to severe health concerns later to come later to be found. Additionally sickness was popping up left and right. One common disease that spread in 1861 was a disease called Cholera. Doctors were completely clueless on how to help and how this disease even started. One way Cholera spread rapidly was through the contaminated water supplies. Crowded areas , more common in the low class, depended heavily on these water supplies in their daily lives.
Progression of Inventions and Literature
During this time period literature such as novels were a big part of people’s lives. Around 60,000 novels were published in Great Britain alone. Novels overtook the Victorian Era literature market rapidly. Due to this public literacy expanded across all social ranks and classes. This led to an aggressive demand for new literature and publication of books of all kinds. Inventions also came about during this era. Trains are one of many inventions we will use today. Trains made it possible for people and goods to travel further distances at faster speeds. Lastly, communication was influenced by certain inventions such as the Telegraph. This altered human communication because instead of massages taking weeks to get it took seconds.
Fashion
The fashion of the Victorian era is iconic. The most common and well known attire during this era was the silhouette. This piece consisted of ¨a small waist band with a voluminous skirt connected to the bottom that grew in size over time. These clothes were very heavy and hard to keep up due to their elegant look. Dresses were mainly in 2 piece sets with corsets already attached. Colors were expressed in these clothes. Popular patterns were stripes. silk, and plaids. Additionally, the hair was known to be very heavy and because of the tension near the back. Certain wigs showed class rank and importance of an individual to society.
Women’s Roles
Nellie Bly is one woman who faced challenges based on society’s expectations. Most males thought of women to be good for things like fashion, gossip, and most importantly known to be inaccurate when it came to daily news and updates about what was currently happening in the world. Although she was more educated, society couldn’t wrap their heads around the fact of women having hands on jobs in society. This was one part of how social structure was upheld during this era. Although most women were well educated and could have been helpful in many fields, to society they weren’t seen as ¨fit enough¨ to work a hands on job.
Conclusion
In conclusion the Victorian Era had many challenges and many struggles. This era was a time of risk health, poverty, and most of all gender bias. These problems pushed for better inventions and later impacted many people’s lives today. The history behind many inventions and how social rank has changed over the years is very important because it shows the development of society and how history shaped society today.
