Queen Victoria's long reign from 1837 to 1901 defined the Victorian Age. During this time, Britain became the most powerful country in the world with a vast global empire. Industrialization and new technologies like railways transformed Britain and led to rapid population growth. However, this also resulted in immense wealth disparities as the poor faced overcrowded, diseased slums while the rich lived comfortably. Child labor was common, with young children working in dangerous conditions for low pay. Literature also flourished in this era, with novels often focusing on moral themes and social commentary through complex plots and settings like cities. Famous Victorian novelists included Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, Charles Dickens, and George Eliot.

1. THE VICTORIAN AGE
(1837-1901)

2. QUEEN VICTORIA
(1819-1901)
• Queen Victoria’s reign was the longest in
the history of England. She came to the
throne in 1837 and died in 1901.
• Her exemplary way of life and her strict
code of behaviour made her beloved,
especially by the middle classes, who
shared her moral and religious views.

3. VICTORIAN AGE
• Britain became the most powerful
country in the world with the largest
empire it had ever existed, ruling a
quarter of the world’s population.
• The number of people living in Britain
more than doubled, causing a huge
demand of food, clothes and housing.
• Factories and machines were built to
meet this demand and new towns grew
up, changing the landscape and the
ways people lived and worked.
• Railways, originally built to transport
goods, meant people could travel easily
around the country for the first time.

4. VICTORIAN AGEThe quality of life depended on whether you were rich or poor.
RICH VICTORIANS
• large families
• big, comfortable houses
• children brought up by their
nanny
• children rarely saw their
parents (1-hour visit in the
nursery each night)
POOR VICTORIANS
• slums
• overcrowded houses
• poverty and disease
• terrible working conditions
• families were separated
• children had to work in
mines, factories, mills, and
as chimney sweepers

5. VICTORIAN AGE
CHILD LABOUR
CHILDREN (as young as 5) WERE
EMPLOYED FOR 3 SIMPLE REASONS:
1. There were lots of them in
orphanages and they could be
easily replaced if accidents
occurred.
2. They were cheaper than adults.
3. They were small enough to
crawl under machinery to tie
up broken threads.

6. VICTORIAN AGE
THE VICTORIAN NOVEL
• The omniscient narrator provided a comment on the plot and
erected a barrier between right and wrong.
• The setting chosen by most
Victorian novelists was the city,
which was the main symbol of
industrial civilisation and the
expression of anonymous lives and
lost identities.
• The plot was long and often complicated by subplots.
• Retribution and punishment were to be found in the last
chapter, where the whole texture of events, adventures and
incidents had to be explained and justified.

7. VICTORIAN AGE
VICTORIAN NOVELISTS
JANE AUSTEN GEORGE ELIOT
EMILY BRONTËCHARLOTTE BRONTË
CHARLES DICKENS