Woman's mission. Private view: Victorian letters as source material

Queen Victoria's reign (1837-1901) was a period of intensive industrialization, urbanization, and social change. Whereas in previous centuries generations had stayed in the same communities and remained close to the parental home, in the 19th century there was considerable mobility within the population. Within the span of two generations, a family might move from the country to the city, then to the suburbs.

For the new members of industrialized middle classes, social identity was created around sets of values which marked them out as separate and different from the aristocracy above them and the working classes below them. Broadly speaking, middle-class identity was built on a platform of moral respectability and domesticity.

Women played a central role in all this, and the ideal of femininity was encapsulated in the idea of a 'woman's mission', which was that of playing a model mother, wife and daughter. Women were also seen as moral and spiritual guardians - as Samuel Smiles declared in Self-Help, 'The nation comes from the nursery.' In other words, the moral health of the nation and its empire depended on the moral purity of its women.

When historians use letters to the press as source material, we are still dealing with published historical sources and with views formulated with the express purpose of reaching a wide public. But if we are trying to reconstruct the everyday lives of men and women in the past, we also need to go beyond the world of public debate and published sources and rediscover those private documents - letters or diaries - written by and for ordinary people, for no higher purpose than simply 'keeping in touch'.

The Amelia Roper letters come from a previously unpublished archive held at the Museum of London. They were written between 1840 and 1858 and offer a valuable insight into the everyday lives of two Victorian women. The pages of the letters are folded and re-folded into tiny squares and are frequently cross-written - with the neat handwriting traversing the pages first horizontally, then vertically, creating a grid of news and narration.

The letters were written by a young woman called Amelia Roper, to her close friend, Martha Busher. Roper lived in Walthamstow, a residential, suburban area to the north-east of London. Her friend lived south of London in Sevenoaks, Kent, later moving to Kenilworth in Warwickshire.

There was nothing special about these women, they simply represent two ordinary existences, lived in the suburbs and cities of England in the middle of the 19th century. Some of the letters are transcribed by the Museum, others are not, and a number are barely legible. Taken together, they offer compelling snatches of the lives of ordinary men and women of their time, and present a useful, alternative perspective on social and emotional life to that offered in official sources.

The letters are a fascinating blend of formalized greetings and impatient transmission of gossip. They include apologies and upbraiding for lapses in writing, and hastily added postscripts, adding last-minute thoughts. These are texts written for the eyes of a friend and preserved for the sake of memory. Contents are determined by the priorities of one young woman's life, rather than by the formalities of official, public discourse.

21. Which of the following statements are true/false according to the text? Correct the false sentences:

22. Find in the text English equivalents for the following:

23. Translate into Russian:

24. Find in the text the antonyms for the following words:

25. Fill in the gaps with the proper words and phrases:

1. Within the span of two generations, a family might move from the country to the city, then to the ______

2. The ideal of femininity was encapsulated in the idea of a 'woman's mission', which was that of playing a model ______.

3. We also need to go beyond the world of public debate and published sources and rediscover those private documents - letters or diaries - written by ______.

4. The Amelia Roper letters come from a previously unpublished archive held at the ______.

5. The letters offer a valuable ______ into the everyday lives of two Victorian women.

6. Taken together, they offer compelling snatches of the lives of ______ of their time.

7. The letters are a ______ of formalized greetings and impatient transmission of gossip.

8. These are texts written for the eyes of ______ and preserved for the sake of memory.

26. Fill in the prepositions:

1. to stay ______ the same communities

2. mobility ______ the population

3. move ______ the country to the city

4. to be built ______ a platform of

5. to play a central role ______ all this

6. purpose ______ reaching a wide public

7. to be held ______ the Museum

8. ______ the middle of the 19th century

9. a perspective ______ social and emotional life

10. preserved ______ the sake of memory

Skim the text to answer the questions.

1. What was the middle-class identity built on in Victorian times?

2. What was the role of women at that time?

3. Why were women seen as moral and spiritual guardians?

4. Why do historians need to go beyond the world of public debate and published sources and rediscover private documents?

5. What is so special about the letters that Martha Busher and Amelia Roper wrote to each other?

Summarize the main idea of the text in 8-10 sentences.

In Unit II we touched upon several aspects connected with the times of Queen Victoria’s reign.

This amazing period of British history is worth a special quiz - this was an era of discovery, of industry, of engineering, of exploration, of science, of literature, of art and of so many other facets of life that blossomed in these times.

QUIZZ

The Victorian Era refers to

a. The life and times of Queen Victoria

b. The time Victoria Principal acted in 'Dallas'

c. The reign of Queen Victoria

d. The time when Victoria Falls were discovered

e. The period when Victoria, Australia was founded and colonized

For how long did Queen Victoria reign (complete years)?

a. 59

b. 60

c. 61

d. 63

e. 65

Who was Prince Consort?

a. Prince Philip

b. Prince Charles

c. Prince Charming

d. Prince Edward

e. Prince Albert

After whom was The Albert Hall named?

a. Albert Einstein

b. Uncle Albert in 'Only Fools and Horses'

c. Albert Dock

d. Prince Albert

e. Albert Brooks

When was the first adhesive postage stamp used?

a. 1830

b. 1840

c. 1850

d. 1860

e. 1870

Which country name appeared on it?

a. England

b. Britain

c. Great Britain

d. UK

e. none of those

What was the first postage stamp called?

a. Penny Red

b. Penny Blue

c. Penny Black

d. Penny Postage

e. Penny Farthing

What colour was the first postage stamp?

a. Green

b. Blue

c. Red

d. Black

e. White

Why was Queen Victoria later depicted as austere and sad?

a. She never recovered from a riding accident

b. She never got over the loss of a child

c. She forever mourned Prince Albert

d. She was naturally serious

e. She liked grey and black

When was Queen Victoria's birthday?

a. 20^th May

b. 24^th May

c. 26^th May

d. 28^th May

e. 30^th May

UNIT III

MADE IN BRITAIN

You now know that Britain used to have many manufacturing industries, but since the Second World War its service industries, especially banking and retailing, have expanded. Heavy industries, including steel manufacture and shipbuilding, have been replaced by high-technology manufacturing industries, such as aeroplane engine manufacture and pharmaceuticals.

In Britain, there are only a few successful large companies, but very many successful small companies. Many of them appeared in the 1980s.It was at that time that small businesses began to increase rapidly. At the end of 1990 officially there was a total of more than 1.5 million small businesses, though the real figure, including the «black economy», was probably nearer two million. However proportionately there were 50 per cent more in West Germany and the United States, and about twice as many in France and Japan.

Unfortunately, many small businesses fail to survive, mainly as a result of poor management, but also because, compared with almost every other European Community member, Britain offers the least encouraging conditions. But such small businesses are important not only because large businesses grow from small ones, but also because over half the new jobs in Britain are created by firms employing fewer than 100 staff.

The large companies invest a lot of money in research and development (R & D) to find new and better, usually high-technology, products. Glaxo is Britain's leading pharmaceutical company and is one of the largest in the world. It tries to find and make new medicines that can cure or reduce the effects of disease.BP (British Petroleum) is at present the second-largest company in Europe. It is involved in oil and gas exploration, oil refining and the manufacture of petrochemical products. It is investing money in making cleaner petrol.

Successful small manufacturing companies in the UK often make expensive products. These companies are successful because they use first-class materials, have excellent quality control and the workers are proud of what they make. Such companies include J.Barber & Sons, the Morgan Motor Company, Quad Electroacoustics, Wilkin & Sons. J.Barber & Sons makes waterproof jackets. Originally designed for fishermen and farmers, these waterproof jackets are now fashionable in cities throughout Europe and the US. The Morgan Motor Company produces elite cars. Quad Electroacoustics is well-known for its expensive but high-quality loudspeakers and hi-fi equipment. Wilkin & Sons makes jams which British people cannot do without.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary exercises

29. Which of the following statements are true/false according to the text? Correct the false sentences:

30. Fill in the gaps with the words and expressions from the text:

1. Over half the new jobs in Britain are aerated by firms … fewer than 100 staff.

2. … … grow from small ones.

3. These companies are successful because they use first-class materials, have excellent … … and the workers are proud of what they make.

4. The Morgan Motor Company … elite cars.

5. Since the Second World War Britain’s service industries, especially banking and …, have expanded.

6. At the end of 1990 officially there was a total of more than 1.5 million small businesses, though the real figure, including the «…», was probably nearer two million.

7. Unfortunately, many small businesses fail to survive, mainly as a result of poor … .

8. The large companies invest a lot of money in research and development (R & D) to find new and better, usually …, products.

9. It was at that time that … … began to increase rapidly.

10. … … , including steel manufacture and shipbuilding, have been replaced by high-technology manufacturing industries.

31. Fill in the table with the data from the text:

32. Find in the text English equivalents for the following:

33. Translate into Russian:

34. Fill in the gaps with the proper words and phrases:

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