Hello, my name is Brenna Hemmings. I am a junior double-majoring in History and Sociology. I am taking this course because I would like to learn more about Victorian London. While I know that it yielded many important innovations that are still present today, I would like to become better acquainted with its writers and landscape. Dracula, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Frankenstein frame the Victorian era as a Gothic time filled with suspense, otherworldly dangers, and dual natures.

After reading the article, I noticed that life in the Victorian era shares a crucial parallel to the Gilded Age in America: the rich enjoyed life’s luxuries by living off of the poor’s struggles. Even though the city expanded in transportation and became a culture hub, not everyone could afford to make a living. The construction of wider roads forced the clearing of slums.Overall, life during the Victorian era is romanticized and many individuals’ struggles are forgotten.