INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENGLISH, LITERATURE AND CULTURAL STUDIES

Abstract

This paper examines the Victorian era (1837–1901) as a defining period in English literary and cultural history, shaped by the leadership and rulership of Queen Victoria. The study highlights how political stability, industrial growth, and imperial expansion under Queen Victoria provided the social and cultural climate that inspired literary production. It explores the interplay between leadership, social change, and literature, showing how writers responded to pressing issues of class inequality, gender roles, religious doubt, and imperial identity. Central to the discussion is the rise of the novel as the dominant literary form, exemplified by authors such as Charles Dickens, George Eliot, and the Brontë sisters, alongside poets like Tennyson and Browning, who engaged with moral and spiritual dilemmas of the age. The research also considers the influence of popular literature, theatre, and print culture in shaping public imagination. It concludes that Victorian leadership not only preserved the monarchy but also fostered a moral and cultural framework within which literature thrived as both entertainment and social critique. The paper recommends further scholarly attention to marginalized voices, colonial encounters, and interdisciplinary approaches to deepen understanding of the period’s complex legacy.