“The Victorians” Chapters 4-6

The British empire was actually very much connected to science and technology. In fact, the government funded various expeditions for scientific and geographic knowledge. It was in the best interest of the British government to have a more precise knowledge of geography because migration around Britain was increasing, and the railways under construction were facilitating mass transport in between regions (50). Additionally, the Industrial Age was also one of scientific development. In response, the empire funded teams of cartographers and scientists to go on expeditions around the world. For example, Charles Darwin’s mission to the Galápagos Islands in which he studied evolution was funded by the British crown (87).

When investigating the most prevalent concerns of any given time period, it is necessary to be aware of the art and literature that was being produced. In this case, the Victorians were evidently afraid that they couldn’t control the scientific and technological advances that they were observing. An intensely religious people(125), they feared that their inherently human sins would allow their knowledge to be their ruin. This is very clear in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, in which the scientist protagonist explores the themes of the consequences of seeking too much knowledge and the fixation upon heaven and hell as they relate to sin (122). Also, H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds illustrates the collective fear of the unknown that was pervasive in Victorian culture (123).