Summative Entry

“The Nineteenth Century gives me real insights into human and social issues that are still current in the 21st century”

Unintentionally I responded to this question within my first blog post, centred around the film “Pandaemonium”. Unaware that this would be the “pinnacle” of the blog process for this unit, I explored the various manifestations of political rebellion within the film, and thus within the earliest stages of the 19^th Century. I likened the plight of Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge to that of climate activist Greta Thunberg, especially in regard to Coleridge’s pivotal role in the British protests against Government endorsed slavery. Yet it was through further exploration of not only the Romantic Period, but the entirety of the 19^th Century, throughout the Victorian Age and well into the Fin de Siècle, that the links between the19^th Century and the current day, in regard to human and social issues, truly came to light.

The 19^th Century was a period of time typified by extreme class divides, and extreme disparity between the various classes that inhabited society. The Victorian period exemplifies this inequality between the rich and the poor. It was reading Charles Dickens’ satirical novel “Hard Times”, that these ideas were brought to the fore, as Dickens expertly created these flamboyant caricatures of upper-class sentiment. The character of Josiah Bounderby especially stood out to me in this respect. In particular, the outlandish claims that he makes in the presence of James Harthouse regarding the healthiness of his factories smoke, and the pleasant nature of the work within his mills, emphasised his complete disregard for the working class, and also the poor conditions that they worked in. He is so caught up in his own skewed perspective of the world, that his statements become wildly absurd. Further study of the Victorian period has revealed to me that viewpoints such as that of the character of Josiah Bounderby were common, if not to a lesser degree. The extreme disparity between the upper and lower classes of society created a sense of alienation that fed into their views of one another. 21^st Century society is still plagued by the same class inequality that was witnessed within the 19^th Century and amplified within Charles Dickens’ “Hard Times”.  

When watching a performance of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest”, I was once again struck by the comedically extravagant characters that Wilde had created. Figures such as Lady Bracknell and Algernon, in a way, replicated Dickens’ Josiah Bounderby. Once again, these characters become caricatures of upper-class sentiment and aristocracy, to the point of absurdity. One moment that stood out to me was Lady Bracknell’s passing comment on Algernon’s imaginary invalid “Bunbury”, stating that he should make up his mind “whether he was going to live or to die” and that “shilly-shallying with the question is absurd.” This complete disregard for the poor state of Bunbury, despite being non-existent, emphasises the class divide between the aristocracy and all other classes, in much the same way as Josiah Bounderby. Where Dickens’ “Hard Times” and Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” differ though, is crucial to crux of the “Fin de Siècle”.  Where Bounderby toys with the lives of the working class for economic gain, Algernon creates the character of “Bunbury” for social convenience, as to excuse himself from matters he cares little for. The Fin de Siècle was a time of materialism, extravagance and social standing, and thus the class divide in this period manifests itself as such.

Hence, all throughout the 19^th Century political and class struggles dominated the societal landscape. Studying these closely, through their manifestation within relevant literature has been an interesting process, as these issues are still prevalent, and can be identified clearly, within the 21^st Century today.