Hello all! My name is Elizabeth Gruhl, I’m a senior majoring in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in English. This past summer I was fortunate enough to spend a month studying abroad in London. I was even able to take a course about literature in London and was able to take field trips to many of London’s great writers’ houses and places of inspiration (i.e. Dicken’s house and 221b Baker Street from Sherlock). I am so excited to go even more in depth into Victorian London and the literature that came from the time period.
From the readings I have learned that Victorian London was a continuously growing place. The city grew outwards from the Thames taking over bits of countryside and making them into a booming city. London was under continuous construction with new buildings and technology being added constantly. The unprecedented train system of London was born. These additions to London changed it forever.
Along with London’s growth out and up, the growth between the rich and the poor grew larger. As people with even some money moved into the city, the poorest of the poor were left in the slums with a reputation of violence and crime.
Hello Elizabeth, nice to meet you and extremely jealous at the fact that you studied abroad in London and visited the houses of Dickens and Sherlock Holmes! I love the books by Sir Conan Doyle and the BBC show with Benedict Cumberbatch. I definitely agree with what you have to say about the expansion of London especially utilizing the River Thames as an overcrowded place to house people. London is a very congested city at this era especially along the river thanks to the bridges that allow the passage into and out of the Southern part of London.
Hi Elizabeth,
Your trip must have been wonderful! I think that it is funny that the railroads and rivers were symbols and tools for mobility and that they were often used as safety valves for a growing population.
Hi Lizzie,
Welcome to the class! I’m glad that you were able to go to London and see such important literary sights. What all did you read in your Literature in London class? I’d love to see the syllabus!
Hi Elizabeth, I’m also incredibly jealous of your chance to study abroad in London. The growth of London was also something I noticed a lot in the reading. The continuing divide between the rich and the poor is still an issue globally.