2. Historical Context
 19th century England always concerned
with making progress
 Trying to improve on the past and lead
to a more reasonable future
 Scientific and technological advances
 Gas street lamps, steamboat, railroads,
savings banks, postal service

3. Newspapers
 Gathering news from across the world =
how Victorians measured their progress
 Brought opinions and news about social
conditions to public’s attention
 The Times of London
 Independent, objective
 Circulation: 5,000 in 1815 to 40,000 in 1850

4. Journalistic Essays
 Short prose pieces
 Provide perspectives on current events
or trends
 Make serious or trivial stories out of
news
 Use of the voice of an all-knowing witness
OR
 Offer individual opinions about common
concerns

5. Literary Terms
 Informative language: provides facts
 Ex.: The peasants were killed by troops.
 Emotive language: uses words,
phrases, and examples for emotional
effect
 Ex.: The peasants were slaughtered by
troops.
 Important to identify because an author
may be biased

6. Sydney Smith
 1771-1845
 Writer and preacher
 Co-founded The Edinburgh Review
 Wrote about progress in serious issues
 Government reform, prisons, slavery, religious
freedom
 Celebrates progress in areas of personal
comfort we now depend on
 Streetlights, railways, umbrellas

7. “Progress in Personal Comfort”
 Take notes!
 You can use them on the Reading
Check Quiz after we read.

8. “Progress in Personal Comfort”
Reading Check Quiz
1. (1) What don’t we realize when we are born?
2. (1) What is Smith going to do in the article?
3. Name one example given in informative language.
4. Name one example given in emotive language.
5. Name two improvements in public safety.
6. Name two improvements in transportation.
7. (7) What does Smith mean by “I am now ashamed
that I was not more discontented”?

9. Classwork
 p. 957, #s 4 & 5 (Smith only)
 List 10 modern amenities that did not exist in or have
improved since your parents’ time.
 Rank these improvements in order of personal
importance.
 Choose your top 5 and write in a similar manner as
Smith about these progressions. (10-15 sent.)
 What has improved? How has this affected society? Is
there a difference between your life and your parents’
because of these progressions?
 Try to imagine 2-3 improvements that may be made in
the future and describe these. (5-7 sent.)
 Why might this happen? How will this progress affect your
life? In what ways might these improvements help
society?