I think that in order to have a full understand of the material we have been reading, and to be able to get a good grasp in order for analysis, we must take a step back and come to a realized understand of the day to day life of those who not only wrote the works we are studying, but the lives of those that these works were made for.
The Victorian Era was marked by the Church of England, first brought about by King Henry VIII in order to gain more political power. The Church has continued to grow, and now is in a position of power that can not be separated from it original religious role and its new political role. The Church began to be viewed as tyrannical, and many smaller churches began to form in a sort of rebellion against the high church. Thus, the Church was plunged deeper into politics, waging a a war via campaign against the proper English church, and the havoc being caused to the immortal soul by the smaller churches.
Funding for the High Church of England came from wealthy families who would buy into the church, which only led to the more political standing of the church. With such an indistinguishable role in society, no one could get away from the Church. The Church was in politics, in the palace, and in the homes of every British citizen. One must take this into consideration when reading.
You point out an important idea here. I agree that any reader of Victorian Literature must take religion and the church into consideration.
ReplyDeleteThis is true, religion had come to influence family life and as such, come to influence how the rest of society would function or at the very least, how society should have functioned. Religion in the family circle came to influence the up guidelines for how young males and females should act in preparation for marriage. Most notably is how if any female were to deviate from what society believes how females were to act, they would become fallen woman and the church would reject them.
ReplyDeleteIt is also noteworthy how the church doesn't have much rules for how men should behave, other than no homosexuality. The sin they could commit against what the church wants is if they fail to fulfill their manly role of fathering a family or taking care of their family. However, these crimes don't seem to be too damning as a fallen women (except in the case of homosexuality). Perhaps this is because those who pay and support that church are the rich, white English males of society. I suppose if I was paying into the church, the church would not hold too much against me so that I can keep paying them.
It is interesting how you point out that in order to rebel against the church, other smaller church's were formed. The church of course influences people in their daily lives as well as their personal ones. The church is said to have dictated the way people run their lives even to the most personal of matters.
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