英美文学选读-维多利亚时期.doc

8. The Modern Echo of English Literature--Victorian Period Victorian Era: The?Victorian era?of?British history?was the period of?Queen Victorias reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901.?It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence for Britain. Some scholars date the beginning of the period in terms of sensibilities and political concerns to the passage of the?Reform Act 1832. Queen Victoria: Queen Victoria?married her first cousin,?Prince Albert, in 1840. Their nine children and 26 of?their 34 grandchildren who survived childhood?married into royal and noble families across the continent, tying them together and earning her the nickname the grandmother of Europe. Golden Jubilee jubilee ?[d?u:bli:] n.纪念或者庆典（特别指周年的）In 1887, the?British Empire?celebrated?Victorias Golden Jubilee. Diamond Jubilee On 23?September 1896, Victoria surpassed her grandfather?George III?as the longest-reigning monarch in English, Scottish, and British history. The Queen requested that any special celebrations be delayed until 1897, to coincide with her?Diamond Jubilee. Movie: The Young Victoria 《年轻的维多利亚女王》 Summaries The Victorian era was a period of dramatic change that brought England to its highest point of development as a world power. The early Victorian period (1830~48) saw the opening of Britain’s first railway and its first Reform Parliament, but it was also a time of economic distress. Although the mid-Victorian period (1848~70) was not free of harassing problems, it was a time of prosperity, optimism, and stability. In the later period (1870~1901) the costs of Empire became increasingly apparent, and England was confronted with growing threats to its military and economic preeminence. The common perception of the period is the Victorians are “prudish, hypocritical, stuffy, [and] narrow-minded” The extreme inequities between men and women stimulated a debate about women’s roles known as The Woman Question. Literat