Post by Lord Nethercross on Mar 12, 2010 19:30:18 GMT -6
The Victorian era was a minefield of mores and manners and "isms," and this might intimidate new players who may be unfamiliar with the period. These notes should help you navigate some of the more perplexing aspects of this era.
Morality
Victorian prudery has been somewhat exaggerated. If the moral climate of the years 1837 to 1901 was more repressed, it was in part a reaction to the perceived excesses of the Georgian era that preceded it. The stereotypical image of the prim and proper Victorian really only applies to the rising middle class - the upper class is already top of the heap, and they consider it their birthright to gamble, have discreet extramarital affairs, &c. (as long as it doesn't get in the papers), while the lower class has no need for fancy manners, at least among their own kind.
Profanity
Cursing, especially in the presence of a lady, is generally considered bad form in most social circles except the lower classes. Keep in mind that "cursing" in the Victorian era includes things like: using the Lord's name in vain ("by God", "for Christ's sake", &c.); "bloody" (by-our-lady); "hell"; and so on. Mild oaths like "heck" and euphemisms such as "by Jove" (by God), "gee whiz" (Jesus), &c., are more acceptable, but still considered impolite in mixed company.
Sex
The Victorians had almost as much sex as we do now, they just didn't talk about it most of the time. The medical profession was a bit baffled by the female orgasm, thinking it was an "hysteria" caused by a wandering womb, and in 1873 French Doctors even invented an electromechanical vibrator to treat the condition. London is home to tens of thousands of "ladies of the night", and attempts by moral reformers to close brothels may have contributed to the concentration of street prostitutes in Whitechapel by the 1880s. Homosexual acts between men are illegal - Oscar Wilde is perhaps the most famous victim of this criminalization, having been sentenced to prison for two years hard labour in the 1890s. Luckily "Sapphists" (lesbians) are legally in the clear, since there is no equivalent female offense for the "gross indecency" between (consenting adult) males criminalized by The Labouchere Amendment to the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885.
Sexism
Women were called the "fairer" or "weaker sex", they were not allowed to vote, and they were legally considered the property of their husbands until the Married Women's Property Act was amended in 1884 to define women no longer as "chattel" but as an individual in their own right under the law. Some campaigned for sufferage in this period, but most women were content with gradual reforms such as the above-mentioned amendment. Because excluding people is not very conducive to having fun, in our continuity women are ahistorically allowed to attend university and enter any of the traditionally male professions, except the military.
Racism
Racism was prevalent in Victorian London, but it was mostly of the paternalistic, "let's civilise the benighted savage" variety, though not everyone was enthusiastic about imperialism. The scientific racism of Herbert Spencer's Social Darwinism found more fertile soil in the United States than in his native England. Chauvinism was really the more dominant prejudice here - the belief that one's own race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, &c., is superior to all others. People of all colours and cultures can be found in the cosmopolitan capital of the world's largest empire, and although foreign characters may face IC discrimination based on their background, for the sake of fun, in our continuity characters will not be excluded from roleplay based on the colour of their skin, though they may still face discrimination based on class.
Classism
Discrimination based on class is probably the most prevalent "ism" your character will face in Victorian London, and this is why characters are divided into three OOC Factions based on class - The Establishment, The Masses, and The Revolution - not to segregate players, but to introduce new elements to the roleplaying dynamic. For the most part, the masses respect their betters, or at least they don't question the God-given order of the world, while the middle classes and nouveau riches wish to purchase the respectability of the upper crust by joining the landed gentry themselves. Your character's class influences their respectability, which may determine whether or not your character can join certain IC groups such as prestigious clubs (Establishment), criminal organizations (Masses), or revolutionary parties (Revolution). Having said that, ideally there should be plenty of intermingling between Factions.
Morality
Victorian prudery has been somewhat exaggerated. If the moral climate of the years 1837 to 1901 was more repressed, it was in part a reaction to the perceived excesses of the Georgian era that preceded it. The stereotypical image of the prim and proper Victorian really only applies to the rising middle class - the upper class is already top of the heap, and they consider it their birthright to gamble, have discreet extramarital affairs, &c. (as long as it doesn't get in the papers), while the lower class has no need for fancy manners, at least among their own kind.
Profanity
Cursing, especially in the presence of a lady, is generally considered bad form in most social circles except the lower classes. Keep in mind that "cursing" in the Victorian era includes things like: using the Lord's name in vain ("by God", "for Christ's sake", &c.); "bloody" (by-our-lady); "hell"; and so on. Mild oaths like "heck" and euphemisms such as "by Jove" (by God), "gee whiz" (Jesus), &c., are more acceptable, but still considered impolite in mixed company.
Sex
The Victorians had almost as much sex as we do now, they just didn't talk about it most of the time. The medical profession was a bit baffled by the female orgasm, thinking it was an "hysteria" caused by a wandering womb, and in 1873 French Doctors even invented an electromechanical vibrator to treat the condition. London is home to tens of thousands of "ladies of the night", and attempts by moral reformers to close brothels may have contributed to the concentration of street prostitutes in Whitechapel by the 1880s. Homosexual acts between men are illegal - Oscar Wilde is perhaps the most famous victim of this criminalization, having been sentenced to prison for two years hard labour in the 1890s. Luckily "Sapphists" (lesbians) are legally in the clear, since there is no equivalent female offense for the "gross indecency" between (consenting adult) males criminalized by The Labouchere Amendment to the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885.
Sexism
Women were called the "fairer" or "weaker sex", they were not allowed to vote, and they were legally considered the property of their husbands until the Married Women's Property Act was amended in 1884 to define women no longer as "chattel" but as an individual in their own right under the law. Some campaigned for sufferage in this period, but most women were content with gradual reforms such as the above-mentioned amendment. Because excluding people is not very conducive to having fun, in our continuity women are ahistorically allowed to attend university and enter any of the traditionally male professions, except the military.
Racism
Racism was prevalent in Victorian London, but it was mostly of the paternalistic, "let's civilise the benighted savage" variety, though not everyone was enthusiastic about imperialism. The scientific racism of Herbert Spencer's Social Darwinism found more fertile soil in the United States than in his native England. Chauvinism was really the more dominant prejudice here - the belief that one's own race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, &c., is superior to all others. People of all colours and cultures can be found in the cosmopolitan capital of the world's largest empire, and although foreign characters may face IC discrimination based on their background, for the sake of fun, in our continuity characters will not be excluded from roleplay based on the colour of their skin, though they may still face discrimination based on class.
Classism
Discrimination based on class is probably the most prevalent "ism" your character will face in Victorian London, and this is why characters are divided into three OOC Factions based on class - The Establishment, The Masses, and The Revolution - not to segregate players, but to introduce new elements to the roleplaying dynamic. For the most part, the masses respect their betters, or at least they don't question the God-given order of the world, while the middle classes and nouveau riches wish to purchase the respectability of the upper crust by joining the landed gentry themselves. Your character's class influences their respectability, which may determine whether or not your character can join certain IC groups such as prestigious clubs (Establishment), criminal organizations (Masses), or revolutionary parties (Revolution). Having said that, ideally there should be plenty of intermingling between Factions.