06-29-2008, 08:47 PM
ginnystrait Wrote:Some people were frivolous in the 18th century. The privileged were not the majority. Many were working hard and starving to death. Writers of the era took the social ills of the time seriously. Novels written during that period give us a much more accurate view of the times than those written today do when authors tend to romanticize the period.
I agree with you, ginnystrait. What I found amazing is that the Gothic novel with these serious themes were so well-received. Obviously, the poor weren't reading much because they neither had the time nor the money. Those who were in a position to make social changes because they believed in them would have considered these novels trash. That left the frivolous, privileged young ladies of society to enjoy them. That they would is mind-boggling. Since I am not living in their world, it's hard for me to contemplate the reason they were popular. However, I'm glad they were.