The Victorian Era and its relevance to our books.

The Victorian era was very much one focused on change (althought is difficult to think of an era void of change).With it's newfound industrialization, this era ushered in a growing population of bourgeoisie, who increasingly seemed to be living in self-contained homes. The decline in agriculture and the advent f industrialized manufacturing led the poor to suffer even more heavily. Many were disenchanted with this new shift in social classes. All three of these books touch on this subject in different manners. The importance of being Earnest jabs at the silly and materialistic nature of the wealthy. The Heart of Darkness addresses the isolation and ignorance of the people in England (especially the women). Return of the Native makes it apparent that several of the characters are not proud of their social class and find that moving to a city rather than the heath will alter their reputation and wealth for the better. All three books were published in the latter half of the Victorian era (1837-1901).The Heart of Darkness in 1899, Earnest in 1894 and Return of the Native in 1878. They were closer to modernism than romanticism but displayed characteristics of both.