The lures of neo‐Victorianism presentism (with a feminist case study of Penny Dreadful)

Abstract

AbstractCommonly credited with a distinctly presentist agenda, neo‐Victorian works invite readers/viewers to infer seeming parallels and continuities between the 19th century and postmodernity. The discernment of presentism's exact operations, however, presupposes an informed audience with a comparatively high level of historical knowledge and sophistication, which cannot be assumed by works targeting a diverse mass market, as in the case of televisual productions. This often results in mixed messages that undermine neo‐Victorianism's ethical agenda and endorsement of liberal politics, pitting critical self‐conscious engagement with the past against its naïve and unreflective consumption. This essay considers presentism's complex ramifications via an overview of the presentist debate and its application to neo‐Victorian studies, followed by a case study of Season Three of Showtime/Sky's popular Penny Dreadful (2014–2016) series, created by John Logan, specifically the plotline centred on the characters Brona Croft/Lily, Dr Victor Frankenstein, and Dorian Gray. Their triangulated narrative, I argue, reveals a disturbing tension between the series' apparent avowal of feminist ideals and activism, on the one hand, and a parodic skewing of both, on the other, raising issues of potential viewer manipulation and insidious historical distortion.