Important in understanding May from a moral standpoint is to understand the concept of Victorian morality, which emphasised sexual restraint, intolerance for crime and vagrancy, and a strict code of public conduct. Victorian morality was highly influential, and during the early 20th century, and emphasized sexual modesty, thrift, and the strict adherence to the ‘norms’ of public conduct. Reflective of this ideation of the royal family, and an indication of Victorian morality playing an essential role in the life of A. May and her family, is May’s mention of the royal family in the first half of her memoir, in which she chronicles the passing of Queen Victorian and the subsequent succession of Edward the Seventh to the throne. The mere mention of these two events indicates May’s interest in the royal family and the influence that this concept of morality may have played in May’s life.
Strohmeier, Svenja. Victorian morality and Conduct : Jane Austen’s representation. n.p.: Hamburg, Germany, Anchor Academic Publishing, 2014.
Todd Wiebers and Chelsea Garcia, “Sexual Mores within Religiosity: A Brief Report,” Pakistan Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, Henderson State University, 2013, Vol. 11, No.1, 11-15
http://www.gcu.edu.pk/FullTextJour/PJSCS/2013/2.%20todd%20Composed.pdf
http://www.victorianweb.org/images/medals.gif
