A lesson I took from reading a biography of Dickens, regarding the current belief about an era and the documented behaviour pointed out that we hold "victorian values" up as some amazing moral high-ground: it was actually a normalised hypocrisy, Wealthy upper-middle classes and above could do whatever they liked in private, as long as you kept up appearances publicly. Only middle classes and below were expected to conform to the public norms.
I suspect Boston of the time of Edwards to be the same: different to the current public view, but probably palpably documented in notes, diaries of the time.
That, bad dentition, bad nutrition, bad opticians and a lack of antibiotics probably make any time before 1940 less appealing to me.
Forgive me if I misread, but the idea that victorian values are regarded highly in the current social climate is fascinating as well as completely new to me. I am curious to hear more about this, and in which particular social circles this is the case.
I'm old. I'm 59. so for me, "current times" (ignoring infancy) spans from 1970 to the present. Remember, the generation standing for president are in their 70s, and so hold to values espoused in their childhoods, and early adult years.
in immediate-prior times maybe? I don't think any Historian seriously believes them, but the appeals to moral rectitude, and "just say no" were predicated in a belief "our grandparents did this better" And was coming from a generation (Nancy Reagan) whose grandparents did hold to those times, because they were contemporary to them. Facile views of past times tend to promote the idea morals were more rigid then. Clasically, because of the lack of contraception, and a belief in "actions have consequences" a relatively un-nuanced view of the history said better for girls to cross their knees, and look how good things were!
Certainly, nobody in the current social climate is remotely interested except, now you mention it, Servants are back in fashion: everybody and their dog wants a housekeeper, cook or cleaner, preferably cheap, and that under-employed foreigner begging outside looks convienently available, not to mention a large number of Mexicans running the entire US Food industry..
Whats the first thing a social media superstar gets after botox? A "personal assistant"
> Servants are back in fashion: everybody and their dog wants a housekeeper, cook or cleaner, preferably cheap, and that under-employed foreigner begging outside looks convienently available
I don’t know a single person who has a servant. I have a lawn guy if that counts? He has equipment that I can’t afford and gets paid a premium because of that though. Are maids really coming back in fashion?
