Open Access
American Research Journal of English and Literature
ISSN (Online): 2378-9026
DOI: 10.46568/arjel
An Overview of Feminism in the Victorian Period [1832-1901]
Department of English, Faculty of Arts, The University of Buea, P O BOX 63, South West Region, Cameroon
Ignatius Nsaidzedze, ”An Overview of Feminism in the Victorian Period [1832-1901]” American
Research Journal of English and Literature, vol 3, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1-20.
Abstract
This paper examines the concept of the “New-Woman” in Victorian literature in all genres written by
men and women.The “New-Woman” was also referred to at this time as the “Woman Question”.In this paper the
“New- Woman”, the “ Woman Question” and feminism are interchangeable. This write-up handles four issues:
the problem faced by the Victorian woman, events, legislation and publications crucial to Victorian feminism,
Queen Victorian and feminism and lastly the Victorian writer and the “Woman Question”.The Victorian writer
wrote essays, novels, plays and poems.Using the feminist critical theory, the paper argues that the predominant
theme in Victorian literature was the presentation of the “New- Woman”.The paper reveals that the “Woman
Question” was so preoccupying that no writer could avoid it during the Victorian period and that feminism really
or essentially started during the Victorian period when women were given or got remarkable improvements in
their lives.