"Sexual intercourse began," wrote Philip Larkin, "in nineteen sixty-three." Larkin's hyperbole is here thoroughly confounded. Brodie (history, Claremont Graduate Sch.) examines the changes in attitudes, technology, and medical knowledge that led to a 49 percent decrease in the number of children born to white native-born women during the 19th century. She examines an impressive range of original sources, including advertisements, an amazing array of advice books and pamphlets, and a fascinating diary in which Mary Poor, a New England woman, maintained an encoded record of her sexual activity over 23 years of marriage. In addition to describing changes in contraceptive methods, the author intriguingly attempts to trace the diffusion of knowledge and attitudes concerning sexuality and gender relationships. A concluding chapter discusses the "Comstock laws" of the 1880s (effective in some areas until 1965), which discouraged and even criminalized birth control. Highly recommended for libraries wishing to supplement John D'Emilio and Estelle B. Freedman's excellent Intimate Matters: A History of Sexuality in America ( LJ 5/1/88).
- Kathy Arsenault, Univ. of South Florida-St. Petersburg Lib.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
We are so dazzled by the gilded Victorian that we often refuse to look at the evidence of ordinary human needs and desires in the 19th century. Ms Brodie examines 100 years of attitudes and practices regarding an important aspect of marital reality -- the need to limit family size. The result is a fascinating examination of a topic that is usually ignored and often considered either non-existent or unimportant. Ms Brodie's energetic presentation is both analytical and scholarly with conclusions carefully supported by contemporary documentation. She also adds delightful textual flavor and dimension by threading excerpts from diaries and letters throughout her narrative. The examination of Mary Pierce Poor's diary is illustrative. This unusual journal carefully records menstrual cycles and sexual contacts with Mary's husband Henry Varnum Poor from 1845 to 1868. When considering sexual abstinence as a birth control method, Ms. Brodie sees little evidence of this practice in the marital lives of the Poors, but does think that in 1851 they tried a physical separation for the summer to prevent conception. She quotes from Mary's diary to prove that this was not a happy solution. "I do not like to be long separated from you. We are happiest together, do not let us try absence again. I want to be with you, wherever you are, the rest of the summer, the rest of my life." Obviously, Mary enjoyed her conjugal pleasures, even if she was continuously worried about another pregnancy. Overall this book is a extraordinary peak into the marital mores and realities of the Victorian period. It leaves no doubt that our ancestors grappled with the issues of family limitation and sexuality as rigorously as we do today. Terrific read. Great reference. Wonderful information.
