Context – Money and Power in Victorian England The poem deals with the unpleasant effect material wealth has on supposedly upstanding figures. Brownin
{"Image DocumentName": "Context \u2013 Money and Power in Victorian England", "Image ImageDescription": "The poem deals with the unpleasant effect material wealth has on supposedly upstanding figures. Browning wrote it at a time of extreme economic upheaval. Money (previously only associated with the upper classes, although many of this class were often without it!) was becoming a mark of social standing. Many of the impoverished upper classes were marrying so-called \u2018new money\u2019. Consider Pip in Great Expectations: all he needs to become a gentleman is an inheritance. The inclusion of the real life Saint Praxted\u2019s Church in this poem adds to a sense of satire against the hypocrisy of the Renaissance church. Browning, at this stage in his life, was not religious. Later on in life he became more understanding of faith.", "Image XResolution": "37", "Image YResolution": "37", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Centimeter", "Image Software": "SlidePlayer", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered"}