The Rainbow Bridge: Female Characters as Representations of Materialism in British Industrialization Literature
Abstract
It is difficult to overstate the impact that Industrialization had on every aspect of British society. This tumultuous change and the attempted digestion of its effects is pertinent in the literature of the day. A vast amount of research has been devoted to exploring the impacts to the collective narrative of 19th and early 20th century Britain. A primary element of Industrialization that must be absorbed by British society is that of materialism’s physical manifestations and the outworking of it in the world. Materialism fueled industrialization in Britain, leading to an all-encompassing idea of accumulation exhibited in colonization, slavery, and industry. Authors during this time must contend with this reality and the promised “progress” of Industrialization. This tension reveals itself in numerous ways. One largely unexplored facet of this is women in British Literature of the Industrial Revolution. Women in these texts reflect materialism. The women of the past are hidden figures, foreign, and forcibly excluded or silenced by the narrative. They represent the price paid for an industrialized world and the evils committed to achieve it, as well as the continuing blight upon the “modern” world. Despite this attempted silencing, the characters emerge of their own volition in the narrative. They are offset by women who represent the espoused ideals of materialism: the idea of a constructed world, safety, and home. This dichotomy of female characters and materialism is seen in multiple texts. Some of the most relevant are Jane Eyre, Hard Times, and Howard’s End. This thesis explores women as representative symbols of materialism in these texts by looking at key characters that embody aspects of materialism. Examining these characters through the lens of ideals and consequences of industrialization provides a closer look at Britian’s cultural understanding and ideology during the 20th century.
Start Time
16-4-2025 9:00 AM
End Time
16-4-2025 10:00 AM
Room Number
272
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Presentation Subtype
Research-in-Progress
Presentation Category
Art and Humanities
Faculty Mentor
David Jones
The Rainbow Bridge: Female Characters as Representations of Materialism in British Industrialization Literature
272
It is difficult to overstate the impact that Industrialization had on every aspect of British society. This tumultuous change and the attempted digestion of its effects is pertinent in the literature of the day. A vast amount of research has been devoted to exploring the impacts to the collective narrative of 19th and early 20th century Britain. A primary element of Industrialization that must be absorbed by British society is that of materialism’s physical manifestations and the outworking of it in the world. Materialism fueled industrialization in Britain, leading to an all-encompassing idea of accumulation exhibited in colonization, slavery, and industry. Authors during this time must contend with this reality and the promised “progress” of Industrialization. This tension reveals itself in numerous ways. One largely unexplored facet of this is women in British Literature of the Industrial Revolution. Women in these texts reflect materialism. The women of the past are hidden figures, foreign, and forcibly excluded or silenced by the narrative. They represent the price paid for an industrialized world and the evils committed to achieve it, as well as the continuing blight upon the “modern” world. Despite this attempted silencing, the characters emerge of their own volition in the narrative. They are offset by women who represent the espoused ideals of materialism: the idea of a constructed world, safety, and home. This dichotomy of female characters and materialism is seen in multiple texts. Some of the most relevant are Jane Eyre, Hard Times, and Howard’s End. This thesis explores women as representative symbols of materialism in these texts by looking at key characters that embody aspects of materialism. Examining these characters through the lens of ideals and consequences of industrialization provides a closer look at Britian’s cultural understanding and ideology during the 20th century.