Victorian Short Essay -- English Literature

Victorian Short Victorian Short Stories Discuss the role of women – as villains, victims and heroes in a selection of Victorian short stories. In the 19th Century the only type of people who could read and write were people in upper class families. Remembered for being such a class conscious society, the 19th century rarely ever mixed regarding their status in the society, this was the greatest divide ever between rich and poor. As well as their being a division between rich and poor, there was also a division between the sexes. Women were automatically given the lower status between men and women and they were seen as lower, less able people by men. Seeing as Victorian short stories were written in the 19th century, they follow through the theme of men being better than women. Also another theme which was common in these stories were brutal murders and obvious villains. Most of the writers who wrote in those days wrote for different reasons compared to reasons why writers wrote in the 20th century. Writers in the 20th century wrote to entertain rather than to instruct people. Famous writers such as Charles Dickens wrote for moral obligation. He wrote to try and shame and instruct rich people into helping the poor. I am going to look at three different Victorian short stories and see how women are portrayed. Are they the villain, the victim or the hero? The first story I have read is â€Å"Captain Murderer†. â€Å"Captain Murderer† was written by Charles Dickens however, he did not invent this story he simply retold it. From the very start Dickens demonstrates how rich people were always perceived to be better than the poor: â€Å"His warning name would seem to have awakened no general prejudice against .. ...d this attracts negative attention just like the name of the villain Captain Murderer in â€Å"Captain Murderer†. Bessie tries to conquer her status as victim by showing the villains she is not afraid of them: â€Å"..you cowardly villains! I screamed at them through the door. You think you can frighten me†¦. You ragamuffin thieves.† Despite Bessie showing she is not going to be overruled the danger increases for her. Shifty Dick goes to an extreme measure when he takes out a knife and starts to hack trough the thatch roof. Bessie finally surrenders her status as hero after all her brave and bold acts and flees the house into the darkness of the countryside: â€Å"†¦I saw the heavy, hairy hand of Shift Dick, armed with the knife, come through after the fallen fragments†¦.. I lost courage at last†¦..I must trust to the night and the thick darkness, and save my life.†