Question

Many Americans view the Victorian era as primarily conventional and even prudish, or stuffy. Considering the works you read for this unit, do you think that opinion is accurate or inaccurate? Which texts would you reference to support your opinion? Think about the qualities your chosen texts have that support or refute the image of the Victorian era as prudish or stuffy. No Response(s) Be the first to respond to the Discussion topic!

Answer 1

Many Americans view the Victorian era as conventional and even prudish due to the way women are portrayed in the novels and the common themes of marriage and social classes. However, upon taking a closer look at many of the texts, such as Pride and Prejudice, the reader can see the way that women are presented is not entirely conventional. The women are shown to be dynamic characters and capable of thinking for themselves, despite society's idea that women are merely objects for betrothal. Such can be seen in the acts of characters such as Elizabeth, who wades through mud and ruins her dress in order to care of her sister--much to the displeasure of some of the older and more conventional female characters. Elizabeth also turns down marriage proposals for the sheer fact that she does not enjoy the man proposing, which was an oddity during the era of arranged marriages for economic gain. Throughout the novel, Jane Austen seems to push gender norms of her time, which is why I disagree with the idea that writings of this time were primarily conventional or even overly prudish.