BethanyHutira

That sounds like a fascinating area to pursue! I'm intrigued by dark doubles and the complexity behind the facade. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a great novel that explores that concept.

Any artist will tell you that where there is dark, it's only because it stands in contrast to light. The "goth" subculture has taken one aspect of Victorian society and expanded on it. The Victorian age also gave us Steampunk, which is a pretty optimistic take on the power of invention and ingeneuity to solve the problems of the human soul -- just look at how Caractacus Potts and the Toymaker defeat Baron Bomburst in Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang!

So there are some very good parts of Victorian culture, too. As the middle class expanded and women had more access to education, a reading public developed into what was the first recognizable mass literary culture. (There had been mass culture before, as in the Greek theater or the Roman gladiatorial games, but not a mass *literary* culture.)

I'm a big fan of Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor, which is a journalistic set of sociological anecdotes that cover the lives of the underclass. While Mahyew was writing for a middle-class audience that was curious about the London poor the way most of America probably enjoys watching C.O.P.S., there is a wealth of material to examine in that area.

Much gratitude to you, Dr. Jerz, for commenting and including me on the "On Individual Blog" list!

After reading your thoughts on the "dark doubles," hundreds of ideas flew into my mind regarding Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. So much of the history remains rooted within these two characters. Later in the semester (if not sooner), I'll be reviewing in more detail my research and critical analysis of the piece.

Throughout the majority of Thomas' book, he uses Mayhew for evidence in revealing the conditions of the "underworld." It's an amazing source: the accuracy of his facts, blunt descriptions of reality, etc. I'm choosing to read London Labour and the London Poor for the semester.

Honestly, I haven't heard about the term "Steampunk;" however, the idea that technology could solve human problems is frequently visited in Thomas' work. There, it reviews how the quick changes in society (due to the Industrial Revolution, etc) contributed in the criminal world, allowing them to conceal their trade from authorities.

I actually have already purchased The Picture of Dorian Gray and plan to use it as supplemental reading material in my research. Thanks again for visiting and sharing your thoughts!

You're very welcome, Bethany.

While I wouldn't cite Wikipedia in your final paper, I was surprised and impressed by Wikipedia's overview of the genre (which is not actually a historical Victorian genre, but inspired by the romanticized view of technology that one finds in Jules Verne and other technological/exploratory Victorian adventures).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk