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1.1.GeneralcharacteristicsoftheVictorianera
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reform,utilitarianisminsocialthought,andlastbutnotleast-because
ofthecountry’srelativestability-optimismandbeliefinprogress5.
AccordingtohistorianEricEvans,thisoptimismwasfullyjustified.
Heemphasizesthattheperiodbetween1837-1901wasatimeofpeace
andprosperityinBritishhistory.Victoriansclearlyvaluedpeaceand
believedthatitwasanecessarypre-conditionoflong-termprosperity
(profitsgainedfromtheoverseaslands,aswellasfromindustrialim-
provementsathomeallowedalarge,educated,middle-classtodevelop).
WhentheyoungQueenVictoriacametothethrone(in1837),succeed-
ingherreprobateunclesGeorgeIVandWilliamIV
,shepresidedover
anationwhichfounditselfinthelongprocessoftransitionfromarural
agriculturalsocietytoacompletelynewurbanindustrialworld.During
thatera,Britaincouldundoubtedlyclaimtobethemostpowerfulna-
tionintheworld6.
TereignofQueenVictoria,thelongestthusfarofanyBritishsov-
ereign,whobecameasymbolofthenation’ssolidarityandconfidence,
coincidedwiththeheydayofBritishoverseaspower.Bytheendofher
reign,theBritishEmpireextendedoveraboutone-fifhoftheearth’s
surfaceandnearlyaquarteroftheworld’spopulationatleasttheoreti-
callyowedallegiancetotheuqueenempress”7.TusBritain-oneofthe
wealthiestandmostpowerfulcountries-heldthepositionofworld
leadershipnowoccupiedbytheUnitedStates.Tesayingthatuthesun
neversetsontheBritishEmpire”wasdefinitelytrue.Teempireinclud-
edCanada,Australia,NewZealand,India,SouthAfrica,andotherparts
ofAfricaandAsia.ItspowerdidnotrestonBritain’sarmy,butonher
navy,muchstrongerthananyother8.TeQueen’sdeathwasregardedas
markingtheendofareallysplendidera.
Itisnotsurprising,therefore,thatin1839,CharlesDickens,whose
mainsubjectswasVictoriansocietyandwhouisanexemplificationof
5
A.Diniejko,IntroductiontotheStudyofLiteratureinEnglish,WydawnictwoAkademii
Świętokrzyskiej,Kielce2004,p.150.
6
E.Evans,Overview:VictorianBritain,1837-1901,http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/
victorians/overview_victorians_01.shtml#two[accessed:November20,2016].
7
Ibidem.
8
J.B.Priestley,TeTwentiethCentury(1900-)[in:]PaulMcCormicketal.(eds.),Adven-
turesinEnglishLiterature,Harcourt,Brace&World,Inc.,NewYork1968,p.550.For
moreseei.a.:A.Porter(ed.),TeOxfordHistoryoftheBritishEmpire:VolumeIII:Te
NineteenthCentury,OxfordUniversityPress,Oxford2001.