The Edwardian period

What was the Edwardian period?

1901-1914
1 författare: E.M Forster
2 verk
Händelser under perioden som reflekteras i verken

This period is named after King Edward VII of England who reigned during 1901 to
1910, though the Edwardian era last until 1914 at the beginning of the first world
war.
The Edwardian period can be seen as the high point of the British Empire. After the
first world war many looked back on the Edwardian period as a “golden age” of
tranquil summer afternoons and romantic atmosphere. Though this romantic view
ignores the social divisions with many still living in poverty. The Edwardian period
was also a critical time for women´s suffrage campaign, with suffragettes leading high
profile campaign for women to be given the vote.
The era was actually noted as a time of great social and economic change. King
Edward was son of the longest serving monarch, Queen Victoria. (1937-1901)
He was a bit more outgoing ruler compared to his mother. In politics there was
growing a political awareness of the working class which led to demands of better
working conditions and people questioning more, you can also see that in the
literature during the Edwardian era. Literary criticism and short story’s also achieved
popularity.
Edwardian writers often created protagonists who looked introspectively and
thought critically about the moralism and technological advances of the previous era,
the Victorian era.

Edward Morgan Forster, also known as E.M Forster was an English novelist, short
story writer, essayist, librettist. He was born in 1878 in London. His father died at a
young age and left Forster and his mother with enough money to live comfortable
for the rest of their lives. After graduating King´s College Cambridge he travelled with
his mother to Italy where he gathered inspiration to his novel, A room with a view.
His critically successful novel, where angels fear to tread also has Italian themes. At
the end of the Edwardian era Forster wrote Maurice, a novel which reflected his
own, then illegal, homosexuality. The novel was not published until after his death in
1971.
Howards end is a novel written by E.M Forster, published 1910. The novel revolves
around three families with different social, cultural and economic backgrounds. The
Schlengel siblings whose cultural pursuits have much in commons the Bloomsbury
group, a group associated with English writers, intellectuals, philosophers and artist
in the first half of the 20th century.
The Wilcoxes, rich capitalists with a fortune made in the colonies. And the Basts, an
impoverished young couple from a lower-class background. The Schlengels seek to
help the struggling Basts and to rid the Wilcoxes of some of their deep-seated social
and economic prejudices. We follow them one by one and the further we come in
the story the more they become connected and, in the end, we follow them as one,
not one by one.
It is a symbolic exploration of the social, economic and philosophical forces at work
in England during the Edwardian era. The novel offers an insightful look at the life of
England.

Peter Pan is also a play by James Matthew Barrie, a Scottish novelist and playwright.
They play was first produced in 1904 but the protagonist is introduced to the world I
a former novel called the little white bird from 1902.
The play begins in the nursery of the Darlings household in London. The arrival of
Peter Pan and the fairy Tinkerbell surprises the Darling children. Peter is there to
retrieve his shadow. Peter reveal that he lives in Never Land as the captain of the lost
boys. Peter then invites the children to Never Land, the island is populated on the
lost boys and peters sworn enemy Captain Hook and his companions and crocodile.
Peter Pan touches on themes such as motherhood, good versus evil and love. It
represents the static of society or those who are resistant to change while the world
around him continues to progress. JM Barrie was obviously reflecting on the society
surrounding him at the time.