Motherhood in mid-Victorian Britain : literary sources as a case for analysis
Date Issued
August 1, 1980
Author(s)
Boyd, Kelly King
Advisor(s)
Susan D. Becker
Additional Advisor(s)
Mary Richards
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes expressed towards and the value placed upon mothers and motherhood in mid-Victorian England through a consideration of contemporary popular fiction and women's autobiographies. The period explored, 1855-1870, was chosen as one of relative calm in general and little change in the lives of women. Eight autobiographies of women who were mothers during the period were examined through the "life course" approach, to ascertain how individual women valued motherhood. Twenty bestselling novels were explored to ascertain the value placed by society on mothers and motherhood, and to investigate the role played by mothers in transmitting Victorian values, by examining the plots and characters for their treatment of motherhood.
Analysis of the autobiographies revealed that individual women placed a low emphasis on motherhood, preferring to focus on adult activities. The novels showed Victorian authors' reluctance to create active characters who were mothers, and, concomitantly, society's lack of esteem for motherhood. The major discovery of this research was the central position which the Victorian value structure held in both the novels and the autobiographies, regardless of their treatment of mothers and motherhood. These virtues were praised and their inculcation was a central issue throughout the volumes surveyed, surpassing the role of the individual in the drama of life.
Degree
Master of Arts
Major
History
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Thesis80B696.pdf
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3.31 MB
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Unknown
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