Hello, my name is Carly Silk. I am a senior and an English major, with a minor in creative writing. Although I initially did not know much about Victorian London when I first signed up for this class, I have discovered several interesting facts about the city during my readings.

For example, although I knew through common knowledge that the River Thames was always a natural barrier separating factions of London from others, I did not know that the South Bank was reserved for the “less desirable” industries, such as soap-making and vinegar factories. I also did not know that South London was, at the time, famous for its taverns and prison complexes, which makes me wonder whether this decision to move the smellier, less pretty aspects of the city into an already downtrodden area was a choice propagated by Victorian London’s aristocratic society. I find it telling that industries in which working class citizens were more likely to work were seemingly lumped together with pubs and prisons. I also find it interesting and accurate that Robinson refers to Victorian London as a “modern Babylon,” seeing as though this era in the city’s history, considering both the uprising of modern architecture and the booming industrial complex that included factories and trains, seemed to crop up almost overnight by historical standards. I also was aware of the filthy conditions of the London streets, but didn’t know that there was an effort to put “slum clearance” into effect. I also was not aware of the fact that the working poor’s homes were destroyed in this move, another insight to how dominant the upper class was in London’s expansion.

Information gathered from Bruce Robinson’s “London: ‘A Modern Babylon’” BBC News. BBC, 11 Feb. 2011. Web. 25 Aug. 2015.