Socio-historical context

During the Victorian era (1837–1901), British society was dominated by Christian ideology and adherence to standards of morality. The Church had been a pillar of countless societies for generations. This fostered a conservative population in which virtues like purity, integrity, temperance, and generosity were widely upheld, leading to modern associations with this period as one of strictness and restraint. People were expected to present themselves with propriety and an atmosphere of repression hung over society, resulting in emotional and sexual expression being silenced or stifled. Self-control was one of the most celebrated traits of the age: resisting the temptation of sin and maintaining a life of piety and order was the height of respectability.