Enclosed Souls, Bare Bodies: Sexuality, Eroticism, and Femininity in the Victorian Age

Abstract

Through this writing, we will delve into the historical and social context of the Victorian age and some of its authors. We will analyze topics inherent to sexuality, its laws, and prohibitions. In contrast to the technological progress experienced by British society during the 19th century, the Victorian age was characterized by exaggerated puritanism, tremendous sexual repression, and the undervaluation of women, transformed into the responsible party for all social ills. This moral standpoint was harshly criticized by some of its contemporaries, such as writers Oscar Wilde and Bernard Shaw, who reflected in their works the mediocrity and narrow-mindedness of that society. Therefore, throughout this article, we will examine repressive and restrictive laws that lend credence to such assertions. The duality of the Victorian era will be the main theme and core of the study, in relation to the historical, social, and political context of English society during the period in question. Literary connections between psychological transformation, duality, and the character of the literary figure, understood in a generic sense or as a literary self, will be crucial, as they refer to the authors' conceptions of dualistic personality as a reworking or as a metaphor for human existence and life in its material transformation. The results of this research, throughout its detailed five sections and conclusion, lead us to believe that the Victorian age was a fully dual society, where, on the one hand, repressive gender laws were emanated, and on the other, unrestrained libertinage was allowed.