From Susan/Miranda:
I’ve enjoyed the comments that have followed Loretta’s last blog, debating whether historical accuracy in vocabulary was a luxury or an obligation, an annoyance or a requirement –– i.e., the battle of “tapes vs. fastenings.” I’d like to continue these thoughts on a slightly different tangent.
As historical writers, we’re all conscientious to make sure the dates for famous events are correct, that our characters are properly clothed and riding in accurate conveyances to the appropriate social event. But what about what’s inside their heads? As readers, how do you feel about characters that think and act like 21st century folk, rather than their own time?
I know there have always been free-thinkers throughout history, women and men who pushed the social and intellectual boundaries of propriety and expectation. I also realize that however hard we try to “get it right” as writers, we’re bound to be tripped up by our contemporary filters. But as a reader, I’m still taken aback by how often (but NEVER among the books of my fellow Wenches! *G*) it seems as if there’s no attempt at all to get inside a character’s, well, character, as well as their time.
Both heroines and heroes in historical romances are often amazingly free of prejudice of any kind. They have a saintly tolerance for those from other countries. They don’t ridicule other races or religions, or use slanderous epithets. They don’t whip their children or their horses, kick their dogs, wager on cockfights or bearbaitings, or drown unwanted kittens. They don’t regard hangings or beheadings as good edifying family fun, like everyone else did. They are always so kind, generous, and understanding towards their servants that the servants are often their best friends and confidants. In fact, these heros and heroines are often such perfect paragons that it’s amazing to realize how seldom they go to church or mention religion (except when the hero, under great peril or duress, will swear), especially when they pretend to live in times when the Church was of enormous importance, as was worrying about Heaven and Hell and which place you’d wind up. But being heroes and heroines, maybe they don’t have to.
In the best historical romances, this doesn’t happen. Characters have real flaws, real challenges born of their times, real problems. But for an increasing number of the books set in the Fantasyland Past, it seems that contemporary morals and beliefs are pasted onto historical bodies.
The most obvious example has to be the haste with which a great many heroines in historical romance tumble into bed. Up until the 20th century or so, most English and American women would have had constant warnings drummed into them against sex outside of marriage, from religious (it’s a sin), moral (you’ll be no better than a whore), economic (no man will marry and support a fallen woman), and biological (without birth control, odds are you’ll get pregnant with an illegitimate child you can’t support, with further unfortunate odds that you’ll have a good chance of dying in childbirth. If your partner’s one of those bad-boy-rakes, odds are also in favor of you contracting a venereal disease that will ultimately be fatal.) For most women, to have sex in such circumstances would be a monumental decision, yet over and over again you’ll find heroines who act like 21st century “Girls Gone Wild”, whooping it up on spring break in Daytona.
So what do you think as readers? Do you want historical characters to act like their time, or ours? Or do you prefer that your “escape reading” escape from that much reality as well?