Balancing the Individual and Society

In 1851, Britain held the Great Exhibition, a display of artistic and cultural artifacts from home and around the world. However, the building in which the artifacts were held was just as impressive as the exhibit itself. Known as the Crystal Palace, the towering building was constructed of iron and glass, resembling a large greenhouse from the outside. The Crystal Palace was eventually destroyed in a great fire in 1936.

Imagine that a replica of the Crystal Palace will be constructed in order to recreate the Great Exhibition of 1851. You have been tasked with creating a brochure to entice modern-day visitors to see the exhibit. Take a moment to think about what you would put on exhibit in the Crystal Palace, and then create a brochure that features at least three artifacts from the Victorian period that you would showcase. With each artifact, you should provide a brief explanation that explains how the item reflects Victorian Britain and how it ties to at least one Victorian literary work.

As you choose your three artifacts to showcase in your brochure, it may be helpful to start thinking first of some of the literary themes you have studied in this module. Once you have chosen one of your favorite themes, ask yourself what that theme or literary work says about the Victorian period. What artifacts could symbolize that literary and historical theme?

You may need to use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment. If so, please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing resources. Before you begin, review the Crystal Palace Brochure Checklist to make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit.

Reflection

After you have completed the assignment, think about the following questions and write your responses to them. Submit your work to the dropbox when you have completed your reflection to share your personal goals as they relate to writing persuasively.

• How did your understanding of the Victorian period change from before you began this module?
  
• What was the literary work from the Victorian period that resonated with you the most, and why?
  
• What literary or artistic works today have a strong influence from the Victorian period?

Once you have completed your brochure and reflection, please submit them to the dropbox.

 

 

Once you have completed this module, please complete the module test.