AN OVERVIEW OF FEMALE SEXUALITY IN THE VICTORIAN ERA

Abstract

The paper analyses the strict societal norms imposed on women during the Victorian era (1837-1901) and investigates the extent to which these rules diminished the importance of female sexuality while emphasizing the necessity for modesty and domesticity among women. The argumentation is supported by references to Victorian etiquette handbooks, an examination of the origin and application of the term ‘hysteria’ to women who exhibit sexual desires, and by highlighting the recurring motif linking sex and death in Victorian literature. Finally, the arguments presented in the paper are exemplified with references from prominent Victorian literary works.