Virginia Woolf’s Between the Acts

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Virginia Woolf’s Between the Acts
The history of England dates back to the Anglo-Saxon era when several groups of people united to form a kingdom. In the pageant acted in the Woolf’s Between the Acts, England is depicted as a young girl, weak, and facing many adversities. Phyllis Jones is seen saying, “England am I,” where after she adds, “Now weak and small” (Woolf 42-43). That was an era where England was weakened by her relatively young age and constant wars. This spanned for centuries until relative calm was achieved in the Elizabethan era. This article explores the history of England from the Elizabethan era to the present day. In Between the Acts, Woolf depicts this era by introducing Queen Elizabeth in the pageant (Woolf 46). There seems to be great splendor and happiness during this period as illustrated by the author. On the historic front, this era is otherwise referred to as the golden age of England. The other era of England’s history as depicted in the novel is the Victorian era. This is depicted in the form of a policeman, a role in the pageant played by the publican (Woolf 82). The characters in the novel represent the populace in present-day England. They have been portrayed to view the history of England in different dimensions and contexts. These dimensions have undergone phenomenal changes over the ages as seen in the political, economic, and social and religious history.
Political History
The political landscape of England has gone through radical changes over the ages. During the Elizabethan era, the political system was a hierarchal one whereby the monarch had a lot of authority. The authority of Queen Elizabeth is evident when she commands “play out the play” (Woolf 47). However, as informed by Neighbors, the politics during the era shifted from absolute power to a reliance on popular support and performance (120). The public participated politically by engaging in discourses and criticism of the monarch’s governance policies and international relations (Neighbors 130). Even though there were bitter controversies and power struggles, there was relative peace and political stability during that period (Doran and Jones 32). However, democracy was still not fully unformed despite efforts to make it fully established.
The political structure during the Victorian period was a little different from the Elizabethan one in that the monarch was a constitutional one. During this period the powers of the monarch were annexed and taken up by a parliament that consisted, largely, of aristocrats. In addition, several critical duties were delegated to the prime minister. This was the formative period of democracy in England (Conti 2). This was when England was involved in the Crimean war which was pivotal in shaping British attitudes toward military masculinity (Furneaux 5). According to Woolf, there is no history without an army (Woolf 81). Woolf expresses these sentiments through Colonel Mayhew who muses, “Why leave out the British Army? What’s history without the Army, eh?” (81). Otherwise, the period was characterized by enhanced political tolerance and stability.
Politics in present-day England has been evolving and mutating with time. In the 1930s, for instance, politics was focused on the needs and desires of the working class (Evans and Tilley 1). However, the political environment has since changed and the working-class people have little or no representation. This era has witnessed the enhancement of an all-inclusive democracy. In the 1980s, for instance, England was led by a woman prime minister. Present-day England has also been embroiled in two wars that have had devastating effects on itself and its citizens. The first and the second world wars will always be etched indelibly in the annals of England’s history. People were physically and mentally maimed by the wars (Salih 261). Psychological torture resulted from the loss of loved ones, jobs, and property.
Economic History
The economic history of England has gone through radical changes over the ages. During the Elizabethan era, there was an order of life that placed the queen at the very top. The order of lines meant that inequalities got more glaring and pronounced down the ladder. Despite the inequalities, poverty was regarded as the fault of individuals which was ironic. However, when the situation deteriorated posing the threat of unrest, policies to support the poor and unemployed were introduced. These were designed to look into the welfare of these marginalized groups. This resulted in economic changes such as the prices of commodities and comparative prosperity in the different ranks and orders (Doran and Jones 390). Price control, for instance, was achieved by introducing reforms that minimized the restriction of the supply of important commodities into markets. In a word, this was a golden era that helped many people improve their livelihoods. Toward the end of this era, England became the first country in the world to be industrialized (Steinbach 77). This conveniently explains why it was characterized by huge changes in clothes and furnishings.
During the Victorian period, the economy of England went through a significant metamorphosis. This was an era that was characterized by improved industrialization that strengthened the vibrancy of life in England. In the novel, Between the Acts, the era is depicted in the pageant. The author introduces this era through a vendor who is selling lavender on a London street. The vendor is heard calling out for buyers, “Lavender, sweet lavender, who’ll buy my sweet lavender” (Woolf 81). In addition to this, Woolf uses a policeman controlling traffic to emphasize the radical economic changes realized in this age (82). During this era, the economy grew in all aspects including agriculture, finance, and industry (Steinbach 77). This was a period where people were grea...