The Victorian era, was from mid 1837 until 1901. It was an era of many unsettling social developments which forced writers to take positions on the immediate issues animating the rest of society. Thus, although romantic forms of expression in poetry and prose continued to dominate English literature throughout much of the century, the attention of many writers was directed, sometimes passionately, to such issues as the growth of English democracy, the education of the masses, the progress of industrial enterprise and the consequent rise of a materialistic philosophy, and the plight of the newly industrialized worker. In addition, the unsettling of religious belief by new advances in science, particularly the theory of evolution and the historical study of the Bible, drew other writers away from th
e immemorial subjects of literature into considerations of problems of faith and truth.
Education was a valued, and sought after prize by the British of the 19th century. Working class schools were frequently "acquired" buildings and had many classrooms on each level. Each floor was listed as follows: one for the boys, one for the girls, and one for the infants. These large classrooms had movable parts which were used to divide the age groups and educational levels of the students. Infants were allowed in school from the age of three, and they had their own classroom until they reached the age of five. At that time, they were put into separate classes, determined by their ability. Discipline had to be strict, especially with the crowded conditions of the classrooms. All pupils sat still in their
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