During the Victorian Age,
England enjoyed a time of tremendous influence and power. Yet despite being
“the greatest and most highly civilized people that the world saw,” according
to Thomas Babington Macaulay, many Victorians experienced anxiety in a world
that was changing at a rapid pace. In particular, they were troubled by issues
regarding evolution, industrialism, the place of women in society, and national
identity.

For your response:

Type a letter to the other students in this class. The letter should be brief—around three hundred words or about a half hour composition. It should include a salutation and read like a personal letter. Your goal in writing the letter is to share your ideas and impressions about one or more of the readings from the sections listed above. What stuck with you after reading? Made the strongest impression? What surprised/shocked/concerned/intrigued you? Respond with observations, questions, connections, comparisons, etc. For example:

Fellow Classmates,

Many points that Engel’s makes about “modern society” hold true today. I was particularly struck by . . .