Boudica and British historical culture, c. 1600-1916
In its original form, this project was to be a study of ideas of female heroism, or the ways in which the concept was constructed and perceived by the British public during the great age for hero-worship, the nineteenth century. In what in hindsight appears to have been a deeply naive endeavour, my initial plan had been to focus on a series of case studies of women who had achieved notoriety during the reign of Victoria in order to identify and compare the different heroic ideals to which women were held. My first case study was to be of Boudica (or Boadicea, as she was known to Victorian audiences). During the course of researching the first case study, it became increasingly clear that to write about the concept of heroism and the distant past was to engage with the process of ~making history~: in the sense both of relating a hero or heroine's impact on a given narrative of events, and in the sense that heroic reputations reveal the role of mediators (that is, the historian, poet, artist, etc. who interrogates a body of evidence) in interpreting the past, as well as in relating the element of the past in question to the intended audience. But I also found that in choosing Boudica, I was faced with a historical
Vandrei, Martha Lynne
Boudica and British historical culture, c. 1600-1916. In its original form, this project was to be a study of ideas of female heroism, or the ways in which the concept was constructed and perceived by the British public during the great age for hero-worship, the nineteenth century. In what in hindsight appears to have been a deeply naive endeavour, my initial plan had been to focus on a series of case studies of women who had achieved notoriety during the reign of Victoria in order to identify and compare the different heroic ideals to which women were held. My first case study was to be of Boudica (or Boadicea, as she was known to Victorian audiences). During the course of researching the first case study, it became increasingly clear that to write about the concept of heroism and the distant past was to engage with the process of ~making history~: in the sense both of relating a hero or heroine's impact on a given narrative of events, and in the sense that heroic reputations reveal the role of mediators (that is, the historian, poet, artist, etc. who interrogates a body of evidence) in interpreting the past, as well as in relating the element of the past in question to the intended audience. But I also found that in choosing Boudica, I was faced with a historical
british historical culture original form project study idea female heroism way concept construct perceived british_public great age hero worship appear deeply naive endeavour initial plan focus series_case study woman achieve reign order_identify compare different heroic ideal woman hold first case_study know victorian audience course research first case_study become_increasingly clear write concept heroism distant past engage process making history sense relate hero heroine impact give narrative event sense heroic reputation reveal role mediator historian poet artist etc interrogates body_evidence interpreting past well relate element past question intend_audience also_find choose face historical