La Traviata symbolizes many of the social conflicts of its era. A loosening of social mores provided for significant changes in society that pitter tradition against change. Included in this change was a rise in power of the middle-class from the growing industrial revolution. Such changes pitted the aristocracy against the bourgeoisie as mass entertainment forms became more popular and social institutions such as the demimonde were established. This analysis will explore the themes in La Traviata as they apply to social changes of the era, including the spread of a deadly strain of tuberculosis. A conclusion will address how Verdi’s opera represents a triumph over conventional morality.
The nineteenth century saw the rise of many popular forms of entertainment, from music halls, vaudeville, burlesque and opera to the rise of the demimonde institution. The demimonde was a class of women who provided favors for wealthy gentleman, in arrangements that often resemble contracts, in exchange for money. Violetta Valery, the heroine of La Traviata, was a member of the demimonde. While not considered prostitutes, this class of women was considered less reputable and held in lower social esteem than truly respectable and virtuous women. La Traviata means “the frail one”, generally considered to refer to Violetta’s illness (Buckley 1).
Violetta’s illness is consumption, an older term used in reference to the disease of tuberculosis (TB). Tuberculosis was a widespread and fatal illness in the nineteenth century in Europe. The illness was so widespread it became romanticized by a variety of artists who felt that acquiring it equated to a specific kind of emotional quality or temperament. Romantics viewed the illness as the symbol of passion and sensitivity. In other words, TB was mythologized and became a part of popular art and folklore of the period. Another important social aspect of tuberculosis during the ninetee...