VICTORIAN ERA

Victorian Era

Victorian Society and Its Values Were Centred On the Middle-Class Family and In Particular Women

The Victorian era was a time when the class structure has become more complex. There were two major changes in the Victorian class structure. The old aristocracy, still part of the upper class, was joined by the new elite - a group that acquired wealth through industrial activities, commerce and the professions. In addition, a new middle class emerged, which took some comfort, but was often excluded from the political process in Britain. Those who could not find work were depressed people. They generally lived in poverty. Many poor people from the cities in hopes they would find work and higher wages. Some were trapped in poverty, seasonal employment and townhouses cramped.

The working classes had almost no political power. They were industrial workers, farmers, domestic workers, tailors, masons, bakers, clerks and other trade professionals. The most skilled workers established unions to protect them from exploitation. Unskilled workers were more vulnerable to exploitation, middle and upper class men sometimes had sex with officials, according to University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. The working classes rarely went to school.

The middle class consisted of bankers, merchants, ship-owners, owners of smaller plants, mine owners, lawyers, solicitors, engineers, architects and all but the most successful doctors. The industrial revolution has not only helped increase the number of people in the upper classes, but also helped the middle class by providing opportunities for traders and merchants to sell products factories. The clerks and managers were required to keep the economy growing and the cities expanded. The government has also expanded, creating new jobs for the middle class.

The upper classes are generally highly educated. They received tutoring until they were old enough to go to school. After that, the upper classes went to either Oxford or Cambridge, Oxford generally prepared students for government jobs and Cambridge prepared students for academic jobs. In addition, students generally have established contacts to assist them later in life, strengthening their position in the class structure.

The concept of social class in the Victorian Era was not supported by many people and Henry James was one of them. He opposed the idea of dividing the society in classes. He said that this discriminates the people and does not provide equal rights and opportunities to everyone. He criticised many people for the same reason of supporting the divided society and one of them was Daisy Miller. In his book where he critics her idea of dividing the society, he quotes her saying:

“The only thing I don't like…is the society. There isn't any society…I'm very fond of society, and I've always had a great deal of it.”

The limits for classes were not always clear. Some members of the middle class were richer than the aristocrats and some members of the working class won over the lower middle class. Those who were able to work hard and spend little money could achieve more wealth than was possible in the ...