Christina Georgina Rossetti, one the most famous women poets during the nineteenth-century, was born on December 5, 1830 and died in 1894. Referring to the title of George Gissing’s 1893 novel about women who choose not to marry, the critic Jerome McGann calls Christina Rossetti “one of the nineteenth-century England’s greatest ‘Odd Women’ (“Christina Rossetti” 1459). She “was encouraged to develop an early love for art and literature and to draw and write poetry from a very early age”, just like her brothers Dante Gabriel and William Michael (“Christina Rossetti” 1459). Though never married, in 1848 she was engaged to James Collinson, but the engagement fell through after James reverted to his upbringings of Roman Catholicism. Both a devout Christian and admired poet, Rossetti is very traditional. This is seen through her poetry, which are known to be suspenseful. All her works came together as a mixture of her experience, religion, and advocacy womens’ rights. It is obvious that “Rossetti uses irony to both protect and display herself; she seems to deploy a double perspective on herself [and other subjects]” (Robinson 49). In her work, she uses “gendered stereotypes” with both men and women (Robinson 49). Christina Rossetti maintained an “active participation in the new [Victorian] developments in aesthetics, theology, science, economics, and politics” (Robinson 49). In her first volume of poetry, “Goblin Market and Other Poems” (1862), all the different poetic modes that mark her achievement are complied: pure lyric, narrative fable, ballad, and the devotional verse to which she increasingly turned to during her later years” (“Christina Rossetti” 1460). Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar call her “an aesthetics of renunciation” (“Christina Rossetti” 1460). Some could justify comparisons between Rossetti and Dickson by the fashion in which “she wrote many poems of an extraordinarily pure lyric beauty” (“Christina Rossetti”). Christina Rossetti, no doubt is a strong, independent, feminist poet, who wrote what she thought and believed in her heart to be true.
Works Cited: Robinson, B. J. "Essays on Christina Rossetti." English Literature in Transition, 1880-1920 44.1 (2001): 86-89. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 27 Apr. 2011 "Christina Rossetti." The Norton Anthology: English literature. 8. E. New York: W. W. Nortonv& Company, 2006. Print.
The Victorian era was characterized by numerous writers from all walks of life. From Gothicism incorporated by Edgar Allan Poe to Emily Bronte’s nature and mysticism, the Victorian Era consisted of a variety of literature.A popular theme of many Victorian literatures was that the difficult lives in which hard work, perseverance, love and luck pay great dividends in the end; virtue would be rewarded and wrongdoers are rightfully disciplined.This theme is prevalent in “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti.
Another work that parallels this theme is the biography of Josh Hamilton titled “Beyond Belief”.Josh Hamilton, who at the age of 18, was picked first overall by Tampa Bay.Even at that time in his career he was predicted to be one of the greatest baseball players ever to play the game.After enduring a back injury Josh became addicted to narcotics, which later led to multiple tattoos and an addiction to various drugs such as crack and cocaine.Multiple incidents led to Josh’s suspension from major league baseball.With the drugs in his system, and no job, Hamilton began to see his life slowly slipping away from him. Josh’s choice to take drugs which caused an addiction shows similarities to Laura’s failure to resist the fruit in “Goblin Market”.Like Josh’s dependency on drugs, Laura was infected by something she knew would harm her and in effect she became ill.Hamiltion, who was punished by being kicked out of the MLB, and Laura, who developed a fatal sickness, both received adversity directly caused by their bad decisions. However, after Josh had an intervention with his family and close friends, he knew he had to persevere and get his life back on track.Inspired by all of the support, “JoshHamilton, the slugger for the Texas Rangers, overcame substance abuse problems” (Travis, 3).Josh’s family in this situation closely resembles Lizzie in “Goblin Market” who saves Laura from her sickness.This symbolizes the hardships that must be gone through in order to attain success. Upon Hamilton’s reentering into the league, he also began to receive the attention that he once had before.Almost winning the homerun derby, and the Triple Crown Josh became an All-Star for the first time after just a year of returning to baseball confirming that he was there to stay.Winning one of the most prestigious awards in any sport, Josh won “MVP” in 2010.Lastly, this relates to “Goblin Market” by how after Lizzie saves Laura, they go on to live their lives and have children.Their children symbolize their reward for overcoming temptation like Josh Hamilton who achieved all of his awards in baseball.The ending of both “Beyond Belief” and “Goblin Market” prove that hard work pays out in the end.
Citations
Information Sources: Travis, Kevin. "Overcoming the odds." Sun Journal (New Bern, NC) 21 Oct. 2010: Newspaper Source. EBSCO. Web. 27 Apr. 2011.
Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. "Goblin Market." Encyclopedia of Feminist Literature. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= EFL214&SingleRecord=True (accessed April 27, 2011).
Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. "Goblin Market." Encyclopedia of Gothic Literature. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= EGL154&SingleRecord=True (accessed April 27, 2011).
The Victorian Period, which lasted from 1837-1901, was characterized by innovation and change. Under the reign of Queen Victoria, this “paradoxical age saw great expansion of wealth, power, and culture” (Victorian England). However, “an age that began with a confidence and optimism leading to economic boom and prosperity eventually gave way to uncertainty and doubt regarding Britain's place in the world” (Victorian England).
An example of the cultural change of the time period would be the new renovations in architecture, and the CrystalPalace was a perfect illustration of this. It was a “famous exhibition hall designed by Sir Joseph Paxton for the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London” (CrystalPalace). In addition, “because of its great size and its innovative use of glass and iron in prefabricated units, it is considered a milestone in the development of modern architecture” (CrystalPalace). The CrystalPalace held many cultural contests and exhibits such as art, music, and theatre. Furthermore, Enderby Jackson, “one of the most talented musical entrepreneurs of the mid-Victorian period, claimed to have invented the brass band contest”, and “one of his major achievements was the establishment of contests held at the CrystalPalace” (Herbert 1). The CrystalPalace changed the viewing of any form of entertainment forever because “the new venue was a centre for entertainment at a national level rather than a merely local level (Herbert 1). This milestone was key in the Victorian Age due to the fact that it let people share and express their cultural ideas to the masses.
Another change in the Victorian Period was in science and technology. The Victorians “invented the modern idea of invention -- the notion that one can create solutions to problems, that man can create new means of bettering himself and his environment” (Victorian England). These changes ranged “from advances in medical, scientific and technological knowledge to changes in population growth and location” (Victorian England). Most of these changes were influenced directly by the First Industrial Revolution, and when “the Industrial Revolution gathered steam, it accelerated the migration of the population from country to city” (Victorian England). The result of this movement was “the development of horrifying slums and cramped row housing in the overcrowded cities” (Victorian England). However, the Second Industrial Revolution around 1850 helped turn the situation around “when technological and economic progress gained momentum with the development of steam-powered ships and railways” (Victorian Period). Overall, this era proved to be one of great cultural change, which led to economic prosperity and cultural innovations for the future.
Works Cited
"CRYSTALPALACE." (n.d.): Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. EBSCO. Web. 26 Apr. 2011
Herbert, Trevor."Music for the multitude: accounts of brass bands entering Enderby Jackson's CrystalPalace contests in the 1860s." Early Music 38.4 (2010): 571-584. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.
"Palace Transept The Transept at the Great Exhibition in CrystalPalace, the glass and iron building designed by Joseph Paxton, at Hyde Park, London. Original Artwork: From Dickinsons' Comprehensive Pictures of the Great Exhibition (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -- Image Date: 01/01/1851 -- Image Date: 01/01/1851." (1851): Image Collection. EBSCO. Web. 27 Apr. 2011.
Alfred Tennyson was born on August 6 1809 in Somersby, Lincolnshire, England. He grew up worrying about money because his father was in ministry and his fathers’ younger brother inherited everything from the grandfather (Glenn). The Tennyson family had many men with mild forms of epilepsy, which worried Tennyson because the disease was a shame in those times. He grew up in an unstable household where his brother and father drank too much and his other brother was eventually confined to a mental institution. As Alfred grew up, his father drank more and became only increasingly violent and abusive.
Tennyson attended school at Trinity College in Cambridge with his brothers.Tennyson started off his works at college with “Poems by Two Brothers” that he wrote with his brother and won a university prize for. Tennyson met a lot of influential people while he was at school that made a huge impact on his writing. A person that impacted Tennyson the most was his friend Arthur Hallam. Unfortunately for Tennyson but fortunately for his writing, Hallam died of disease. Some of Tennyson’s greatest work came out of the inspiration and honor of his late friend Hallam. In “Tennyson’s IN MEMORIAM” it describes their relationship as“Their minds and hearts were wedded in a friendship which was closer than brotherhood” (Van Dyke 107). Jeffery Howard views In Memoriam as Tennyson relating Jesus Christ“in whose redeeming and resurrecting power he has faith concerning the eventual salvation of himself and his friend Hallam” (Howard). The death of Hallam affected Tennyson so greatly that produced amazing works.
Other works that Tennyson wrote include “The Passing of Arthur”,“Ulysses”, and “Tithonus”. Tennyson had great success with his poetry and grew increasingly popular. Tennyson also had many of his work just in his head. He suffered from severe short-sightedness and could only see with his monocle.The first copy of his work “The Lotus Eaters” is credited to his friend Arthur Hallam for writing it down while Tennyson told the story (Glenn). Tennyson lived a long 83 years and died onOctober 6 1892, just before the end of the Victorian period.
Sources:
Glenn Everett.”Alfred Lord Tennyson: A Brief Biography”.
The British Victorian Era, in my opinon is best known for its wordiness and imagery used within the writing. A text to support this statement is best demonstrated by the novel, Oliver Twist. Oliver Twist, published in November of 1838, was written by Charles Dickens. The style of the writing can best be described as sentimental yet highly ironic. In the text "Dickens exposes the abuses of Victorian capitalism, however, through essentially topical social criticism" (Donner 254). Throughout the novel, Dickens creates a tone of irony by pointing out the flaws of a Victorian society in the 1800's through the dialogue of his characters. Oliver's caretaker, Fagin, actually the bad guy of the plot, trains young boys to pick pockets.
Twist came under Fagin's care after being orphaned and then abandoned by the parish, Mr. Bumble. An interesting point that is made by Laura Schattschneider in The Journal of Victorian Culture, is that Oliver is never changed by those around him, but rather the opposite. Twist represents innocence and the people that try to corrupt it. The beadle that tricks Oliver represents the darker side of the Victorian society, while Mr. Brownlow represents the good in society. Mr. Bumble creates starvation by refusing to serve the hungry boys more food, while Mr. Brownlow looks after Oliver and shows him how life should be. Ironically, Dickens was also the author of the Pickwick Papers, which is the complete opposite of Oliver Twist. The Pickwick Papers represent the story of a gluttonous man while Oliver Twist, is about a starving child. Another parallel is that the protagonist in Oliver Twist is a thining boy while the antagonist in the Pickwick Papers is a thinning young boy. Both parallels are represented in G.T. Houston's, Studies in Literature. In conclusion, Charles Dickens's novel Oliver Twist is a timeless classic that will forever be an accurate representation of a novel written during the Victorian time period.
Works Cited:
"Please, Sir, I Want Some More": Clive Donner's Marxist Adaptation of Oliver Twist." Literature Film Quarterly 38.4 (2010): 254-268. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.
Houston, G.T. "Broadsides at the board: Collations of Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist." Studies in English Literature (Rice) 31.4 (1991): 735. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 27 Apr. 2011.
Schattschneider, Laura. "Mr. Brownlow's Interest in Oliver Twist." Journal of Victorian Culture 6.1 (2001): 46. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Oliver Twist.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2003. Web. 14 Apr. 2011.
Throughout the Victorian Age, the perspective of religious followings had been an area of controversy and contradicting beliefs.Much has been written and discussed about pro religious beliefs although, through some sectors of society, there were various concepts defined as unbelief, infidelity, irreligion, honest doubt or free thought.Following these ideals were apposed traditional religious beliefs.“Recent research on secularization in later Victorian Britain has emphasized the proliferation of substitute religions as a compensation for the decline in the Church of England’s – and by extension Christianity’s – intellectual and ethical authority” (Lomas-Ledger1).The digression from religious beliefs was partly due totrains of thought at that time. Timothy Larsen states, “The rhetoric of honest doubt is often tinged with the notion that a full appreciation of the fruits of modern thought and scientific inquiry would almost automatically lead to the abandonment of religious views; it is not just “honest” in the sense of candidly avowed and not derived from unworthy motives, but, rather, it is as if an “honest” examination of the facts could lead only to religious doubt” (Larsen1).
The groups of “free thinkers” that followed the concept of unbelief was a small percentage of the Mid Victorian generation which proved to be somewhat negligible.Furthermore, those who followed this concept also found later a change in perspective due to the dead end prospects of their anti-Christian beliefs.This resulted in many of them returning to their religious beliefs.The “free thinkers” participating in discussions of “honest doubt” were mainly of the elite status.The elite believed that the intellectual concept of the unbelief was a luxury and that the lower class could not comprehend it and was invariably ignorant of such discussions.“Taking natural selection seriously meant thinking differently about traditional understandings of divine providence, omnipotence, the reality of evil, the nature and purpose of miracles, human origins, original sin, the nature of free will, and even the uniqueness of Christianity” (Bevans1).The Victorian Secularists convincingly claimed that the abandonment of religion was the product of advancement of knowledge and was an irreversible commitment.
Contrary to the claims made by the Victorian Secularists, some of the “free thinkers” reconverted back to their Christian faith.This was hard for the Secularists to comprehend, “No man who has once dared to think for himself; who has had the courage to strip the Bible of all its traditional awe, and to look upon it merely as a book; who, having set himself carefully to examine it, has discovered in it contradictions and absurdities… would have the audacity to maintain that this book was the word of God” (Secularist Robert Cooper/Larsen3).The reconverts were accused of returning to their religious beliefs due to a desire to gain financial advantage, was an unsavory character and therefore was asked to leave the “free thinkers” and had insufficient time to become intellectually convinced of their free thinking ideals.The Secularists would never admit that the true reason for the reconversion of the “free thinkers” was based on a genuine and reflective pursuit of truth of their religion.
In retrospect, the reconverts often reflected on their reasons for initially straying away from their Christian beliefs.Their strongest argument for joining the “free thinkers” included personal, physiological, relational and emotional factors.The reconverts also admitted that their deviation from their religious beliefs also stemmed from them being convinced their knowledge and cleverness surpassed that of religious authorities who were looked upon as their mentors.Another reason for their prior non belief was due to clashes with religious authorities that grew into a dislike of Christianity in general.For the younger Christians, the strong source of skepticism of their Christian belief stemmed from the forbidding of free inquiry.They believed that this could be avoided by the proper presentation of religious ideas rather than the suppression of the exposure to non beliefs.
The “free thinkers” found themselves returning to their religious beliefs claiming that they had experienced their fill of unbelief and found it to be bleak, gloomy and solely destructive.Their rationale for becoming reconverts was due to them eventually realizing that the beliefs they embraced as a non believer were purely negative, and did not provide a solid foundation for vital human hopes and efforts.They rationalized that there had to be a greater being to produce the human body and its complex functions.The reconverts rationalized a return to their faith by explaining that savage tribes have no conception of God and no sort of religion.This being true, an atheist’s highest ideal of man would have to be a savage.Since all civilized races have religious beliefs, not derived from scientific explanations, a society of free thinker’s would consist of a lower form of being.
Bevans, Stephen. "RELIGIOUS THOUGHT IN THE VICTORIAN AGE: CHALLENGES AND RECONCEPTIONS." Theological Studies 69.4 (2008): 956-957. Religion and Philosophy Collection. EBSCO. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.
Larsen, Timothy. "The Regaining of Faith: Reconversions among Popular Radicals in Mid-Victorian England." Church History 70.3 (2001): 527. Religion and Philosophy Collection. EBSCO. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.
Ledger-Lomas, Michael. "Unitarians and the contradictions of liberal Protestantism in Victorian Britain: the Free Christian Union, 1867–70." Historical Research 83.221 (2010): 486-505. Religion and Philosophy Collection. EBSCO. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.
