A. N. Wilson, biographer of Milton, Tolstoy, and Dante, shows his expertise with his latest biography about Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria is an interesting subject. Throughout her life, Queen Victoria was a prolific writer, who wrote in diaries, and corresponded rapidly to various key figures of the era. However, despite, or perhaps because of the plethora of information on Queen Victoria, no previous biography on her has been written without a positive or negative slant. A. N. Wilson has succeeded in writing a complete biography of the complicated character Victoria, while allowing the reader to assume his or her own judgement. Victoria has always been quiet as a child, some would describe her as aloof. She was raised as minor royalty, and …show more content…
This chose the reader has demonstrates the beauty of this biography because the beauty is the power the biographer allows the reader to wield. Victoria had nine children. She was a harsh but loving mother with varying levels of affection for each of her children. Unfortunately, many of her children inherited her hemophilia, either as a carrier or sick with it. As a result, two of her boys died in their youth. However, her tragedy didn’t end there her husband, Prince Albert, died young too, leaving her a bitter but resolved widow. She was of course helped and advised by many of her famous acquaintances and royal family members. However, despite her support system (or perhaps because of it,) both Victoria’s accomplishments and foibles are on a grand scale. She wanted to continue her work in parliament. In parliament, Queen Victoria made her opinions known. She fought for her views on what she considered “a real constitutional monarchy.” It is because of Victoria that there is a democracy in Great Britain today. However she also made a lot of military errors, which have obstructed many military …show more content…
The outside references especially add to the intellectual stimulation and interest. Some examples include: a description of Victoria’s acquaintance “who knew everyone’s secrets—a little like Mr. Tulkinghorn in Dicken’s bleak house”, comments like “had Mr. Sherlock Holmes been there, he may have guessed what Archbishop Benson was doing…”, and analogies like “she made no allusion to it, any more than Jane Austen, in her novels, alluded to the Napoleonic Wars.” There is a lot to learn about Queen Victoria. She was the Empress of India, the matriarch of Europe, the beloved ruler of England, and so much more. The synopsis on the front flap says that “Britain’s longest-reigning monarch was one of the most passionate, expressive, humorous, and unconventional women who ever lived, and the story of her life continues to fascinate.” If her life before A. N. Wilson wrote her biography wasn’t fascinating it definitely is now, as the reader becomes submerged in trying to figure out how to make sense of the quagmire of her
“So you’ll be rid of the man and have possession of the woman just as you wanted,” I said with disgust. “Rape rewarded.”
This novel was one of the most radical books of the Victorian Era. It portrayed women as equals to men. It showed that it was possible that men could even be worse than women, through John and Jane. It taught the Victorians never to judge a book by its cover. The novel would not be as successful were it not for Charlotte Brontë’s talent in writing, and were it not for the literary devices employed.
Anna Letitia Barbauld was the preeminent leader of female poets and the distinguished children’s writer in the British Romantic Period. Many contemporaries dispraised Barbauld simply because of her religion. She was born and raised in a nonconformist family, and she gradually became a dissenter. As Ralph Waldo Emerson sighed with emotion, “for nonconformity the world whips you with its displeasures. (1841:179)” Barbauld’s whole life was haunted by criticism and disapproval, her poems that expressed her political stand and religious beliefs were regarded as discard the classics and rebel against orthodoxy, or even worse, as heterodoxy. Her “Epistle to William Wilberforce” attacked British involvement in the slave trade, and her last major work “Eighteen Hundred and Eleven” despairs over the war with France and the corruption of English consumer society. Barbauld’s negative comments on the country’s future stepped on a sensitive nerve and enraged the intellects who on the other hand supported the war and hold great expectation on British future. The Tory critic John Wilson Croker warned Barbauld “to desist from satire” by saying that: it was not up to a “lady-author” to sally forth from her knitting and say how “the empire might be saved.”(1812:49) The overwhelming lambasting forced Barbauld to escape from public spotlight, but it didn’t stop her from writing. Her bumpy life proved the truth quite impressive that women should not be underestimated as the domestic machine engaged in knitting and babysitting. Instead, they are emotional creatures whose imagination could run as wild as men’s.
On (Date), Queen, passed this life in Big Bend Hospice, Tallahassee, FL after long illness.
Among the thirty-two biographies summarized here are the four royal women who ruled, or tried to rule in her own right: these queens regnant are Empress Matilda, Lady Jane Gray, Queen Mary I and Queen Elizabeth I. They each received the same level of attention in the author’s previous work, Lives of England’s Monarchs (2005), as was given to their male counterparts. The major events in the lives of these reigning queens are readily available from the previous companion work, and in many other sources; thus, the lives of reigning queens are only briefly reviewed in the present study.
The name Queen Victoria resonates with a time of great expansion and industrial, social and economic revolution and redefining roe in British lie. It was an important area in British history in ways of industrial expansion, economic progress and especially her empire. Queen Victoria was the longest-reigning British monarch in History occupying the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland for over an astonishing 64 years.
Her great interest in literature led to a blooming of great culture and bettering of the education. She also signed financial reforms which brought the first of paper money into Russia. She needed to maintain stability and avoid the peasants uprising so she got learned to be conservative throughout her
In the year 1819, one of Britain’s greatest monarchs was born. Her name was Alexandrina Victoria. (Price-Groff 13) She would be remembered for the young age at which she inherited the throne, but also for the confidence expressed in learning to master the techniques of ruling justly. When Victoria became Queen, England was already a constitutional monarchy. Government policies (laws) were made by the lawmakers and Prime Minister of Parliament, who were elected by the people. Because of the Industrial Revolution, the British experienced rapid progression in technology. This change was enjoyed by some, while others felt threatened. (4) Victoria made her subjects feel secure by assuring them she was there to lead. Queen Victoria demonstrated that a monarch who had a high level of prestige and who was prepared to master the details of political life could have a powerful influence on society.
The time period covered in this study was that of Queen Alexandra’s life, 1844-1925. From her early life in Denmark as Princess Alexandra of Wales , to becoming Queen Consort after the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, Alexandra ruled with elegance and a large yet humble influence on the royal
The Victorian Era had lasted from the years 1837-1901. People in this era were known through their social class and how efficiently they were able to present themselves. Those who were obligated to carry themselves is such a proficient manner, were the women of Victorian Era. Although they had been expected to perform and execute many tasks, they were never recognized just as equal to the men in society. They were never acknowledged to make judgments or decisions, rather were best known for marriage, prostitution, and motherhood. As the men, dominated and took control of every decision possible. They were known for their aggressive and independent attitude. This led an extraordinary women named, Charlotte Brontë to begin a revolution of change and improvement in the social standings. As her living in the Victorian Era, set her upon a journey of many hardships but her well-known classics, Jane Eyre, depicted her strength and courage to step up for women equality and portray who she truly was in society.
Queen Elizabeth I is one of the most accomplished rulers of England. Queen Elizabeth I was born on September 7th, 1533. Queen Elizabeth truthfully had a terrifying upbringing. Both her mother and step mom both died from being beheaded. She also spent much of her early life virtually imprisoned.1 Many years later, in 1588 she was declared Queen of England. She came to a country completely divided, in economic turmoil, and distressed by the oppression that Queen Elizabeth’s I half-sister brought upon the people of England.2 Despite the odds being completely against Queen Elizabeth, she was able to bring upon a true golden age for England. The purpose of this essay is to examine her accomplishments in military, economics, and uniting a nation
From 1558 to 1603 Queen Elizabeth I ruled England to great success. Queen Elizabeth’s policies and ideas fixed England’s religious and military conflict using her sharp intellect and powerful ruling style.
In addition, she read philosophy and other non-fictions works of the time. No doubt she was aware of the changes in culture, economics, industry, science and other aspects of life that were occurring. The Industrial Revolution, which began in the 18th century and continued into the 19th brought changes in all stratas of life. The upper classes felt the gates at the entrances of their private enclaves shudder with the power of a rising middle class. The poor saw new opportunities that might lift them out of poverty. All these issues made an impact on literature as well. The novel became an important source of entertainment and big business for publishers and magazines. 'In the Age of Victoria, the Voice of Authority was accepted in religion, in politics, in literature, in family life. ' 7 There was little reading outside of the Bible, and education was limited, math, classics, but not much science or great literature of the more recent past. 8 This education was for boys. Girls had even less education. They were 'supposed to enjoy such evenings [dancing and parties] and to follow the pursuits of well-bred young women: drawing and embroidery, mild charitable work, decorating bonnets and cultivating the garden. ' 9 There were few vocations for young women to pursue, so a fortuitous marriage to someone with property and money was seen as advantageous. Males who came from an impoverished family in the
In the book “The Life of Elizabeth I” the author, Alison Weir focuses mostly on Queen Elizabeth’s personal life. Not only is the reader able to receive insight on her Queen Dom but also we learn many things about her as a person and her everyday life. “The Life of Elizabeth I” told the story of Queen Elizabeth’s life from the beginnings of her reign through her death.
Princess Diana once said, “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” Princess Diana was a selfless, caring woman who left behind a legacy of love, passion, and support for the world to follow, even twenty years after she died. She holds a special place in so many people’s hearts for all the good she has done around the world. The Princess will always have a worldwide admiration.