Talk:Victorian

Do people actually use "Victorian" to refer to works set in 19th-century America such as Gone with the Wind? It would never occur to me, as a Brit, to do so. They seem dominated by the American Civil War, which to me seems very different from British Victoriana. Espresso Addict (talk) 04:27, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

I got most of the list from here, a list of movies set in the Victorian Era. I've actually never seen the film so I wasn't sure, I just knew it was a popular film. I think anything that takes place during that time period should be considered "Victorian", I don't think it applies to just British works. --Harpie (talk) 04:48, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Well, it applies to "British, Empire, and Commonwealth" works, certainly. Americans...should be consulted, I guess. I suspect, though, that the use of the term "Victorian" as synonymous with "19th-century" might seem more than a little odd to someone from Japan or Brazil. --Greer Watson (talk) 05:03, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

I think there might be a difference between how US & UK fans use the term. Anyone else care to weigh in? Espresso Addict (talk) 05:11, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Victorian isn't synonymous with 19th century: it refers to Queen Victoria's reign, 1837–1901. So strictly speaking it should only apply to Britain and maybe Commonwealth nations, though "Victorian" might be used in casual conversation to describe cultural stuff that isn't country-specific [1]. American history is divided up quite differently, even if there are plenty of cultural similarities.--æþel, an American (talk) 05:23, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

I guess the non-fannish definition doesn't really matter, what's key is whether "Victorian" exists as a trope/fandom -- I'd have said it did, but it would only include works set in Britain (or with British people abroad, which would take in, say, the Raj). The VICTORIA list seems to have been restricted to "19th-century Britain" [2]; interestingly though, the later list VICTORIAN-L covered Victorian & Edwardian periods in Britain & America [3]. Espresso Addict (talk) 05:41, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Oh, you can certainly use "Victorian" to refer to anywhere Queen Victoria was the reigning monarch, i.e. the whole of her Empire. The term would apply in Canada and Australia, as well as in Britain—not to mention India and the British colonies in Africa. I agree that it should only apply to the period 1837-1901. --Greer Watson (talk) 06:04, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

I think what I'm trying to say is that Murdoch Mysteries is canon Victorian, since it's set in the Dominion of Canada, which was part of the British Empire under Queen Victoria. On the other hand, I'd have serious doubts about describing Gone with the Wind as canon Victorian. --Greer Watson (talk) 06:10, 13 August 2013 (UTC)