"Fertile - Capable of Producing Issue:" Victorian Perceptions of Womanhood in Maureen Jennings's Murdoch Mysteries Series

Abstract

In my MA thesis, I explore the way in which the general perception and treatment of women in the Victorian era is portrayed in Maureen Jennings's novel series titled Murdoch Mysteries (1997-2017). I investigate the novels' treatment of female sexuality across various social classes, Victorian ideas regarding women's intellectual capacities, women's body autonomy, and the position of women of colour, as well as the New Woman movement, a possible response to the various forms of discrimination that women faced in the Victorian period.