Master of Arts
Cowherd, Raymond G.
For the purposes of this study, we must seek a narrow definition of "Victorianism" and describe it as that sense of moral seriousness which all Victorians shared or were expected to share. In an age which possessed no natural unity, and which experienced constant change, this one characteristic stood out as a cohesive force. Known by a multitude of synonyms--respectability, prudishness, propriety--Victorianism in this sense has been used to indicate that moral attitude which lay at the base of the strict standards we still think of as typical of nineteenth century Britain.
Eckhardt, Joseph P., "Guardians of public morals: an examination of the effect of "Victorianism" on literary studies" (1968). Theses and Dissertations. 3615.