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The New Victorians
Why making people afraid of words diminishes us all
Those who are familiar with English literature and letters from approximately 1700 CE to 1800 CE know that the period was filled with colorful prose and the moeurs of the time were far from bashful. Novels from that period include Cleland’s Fanny Hill and Stern’s Tristram Shandy, both of which covered sexual and other physical topics with a robust humor. Yet by 1840, British authors were assiduously avoiding mention of bodily parts, sexuality, and other physiological actions. Prudery dominated the culture to the extent that even place-names were altered to protect the acute sensitivities of Victorian society.
This neurotic terror of physicality led to a wide range of psychological disorders as well as to great discomfort arising from the ever-more-constricting nature of Victorian garments. This deep fear of words lasted well into the 20th century, so that it was not until the famous Lady Chatterley court case of 1960 that authors could once more include words and topics of a sexual nature within novels and plays intended for public consumption.
It is a curious thing that people should persuade themselves to be afraid of words, yet it’s a common human trait. For several hundred years, Jews were supposed to avoid mentioning the name of their god (a stricture parodied to great…
