The Victorian Times

Julia Mahoney -Editor

1885
________________________________________________________________________________________
__

EtiquetteStandardsLeadtoLossof

QueenVictoriaFailstoSwaythePrime
MinisterElection

Individuality
Men feel forced toconformtothesocialnormsofthe

era, even thoughitdoesntalways haveapositiveimpact

on them. Becoming a gentleman greatly changes who
you are. Gentlemen are supposed to be rich, graceful,
brave, and charming, butwouldntallgentlemen end up
acting the same way? Where is the room for
individuality? Middle class citizens feel the need to
purchase books aboutetiquette instead of learning it for
themselves. They are also buying houses and clothes
thatsociety claimstobe stylish andfashionable. Men
should be the ones deciding for themselves what is
stylishandwhatmakesthemthem.

__________________________________

Two gentlemen are greeting a woman they are showing

properetiquette
.

___________________________________

One couldarguethat becomingagentlemanmayhelp

youacquire theskillstoprotect and defendyourself and
the women around you. Skills gained could also be
charismaand politeness, such asnotinterruptingpeople
or being a proper guest. These skills will please some
women, but not all. One does not need fancy clothing
and other expensive possessions, nor does one need
sophisticatedwords, inordertobesuccessful.Dont bea
puppet to society, who imposes theserequirements in
life. Live your life in a way that satisfies you andbrings
joytoothers.

WilliamGladstone,acandidatefor the electionin

1880, wasnearlysabotagedby Queen Victoria. The
queen is said to have strongly disliked him and
distrustedhispolicies.
Shehopedforthe Marquess ofHartingtontowin
because the Queen was onmuchbettertermswith
her. The Marquess had just won the general
election,butitwasnotenough.

TheBerlinConferencein1884and1885
preventswarsovertheAfricanColonies.

The search for raw materials and rare resources

landed European powers in Africa. There was no
peace,however,asthelandwasdesiredbymany.
German chancellor Otto van Bismark had the idea
to hold a summit for the European powers, which
began to be known as The Berlin West African
Conference. A treaty was created and signed,
guiding the division of Africas land amongst those
who wanted it. Because of this famous Berlin Act,
manylivesweresparedintheprocessofcolonizing
Africa.

JohnSingerSargents
MadameX
is
criticizedforitsuniqueness.

Sargents most famouspainting,

MadameX
, is
known for having different pose and use of space
than normal paintings in 1884.Sargentsnewfound
infamy, and his want to escape it, brought him to
London two years later. He was inspired by the
summers in Broadway,Worcestershire, topaint his
most determined work,
Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose
.
ThepaintingisnowdisplayedintheRoyal Academy
foralltosee.

Mahoney1
WorksCited
Iweriebor,EhieduE.G."TheColonizationofAfrica."
TheColonizationofAfrica
.SchomburgCenterfor
ResearchinBlackCulture,2011.Web.20Nov.2015.
<
http://exhibitions.nypl.org/africanaage/essaycolonizationofafrica.html
>.
Weinberg,H.Barbara."HeilbrunnTimelineofArtHistory."
JohnSingerSargent(18561925)
.The
MetropolitanMuseumofArt,2000.Web.20Nov.2015.
<http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/sarg/hd_sarg.html>.

"Victoria(r.18371901)."
TheOfficialWebsiteofTheBritshMonarchy
.TheRoyalHousehold,2008.Web.20
Nov.2015.
<
http://www.royal.gov.uk/historyofthemonarchy/kingsandqueensoftheunitedkingdom/thehanoverians/vi
ctoria.aspx
Nelson,Walter."MannersfortheVictorianGentleman."
MannersfortheVictorianGentleman
.WalterNelson,
n.d.Web.20Nov.2015.<http://walternelson.com/dr/behavior>.