Egyptomania was a Victorian fad that began as the result of Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt from 1798-1801. By the Victorian Era, as imperialism continued to expand and study of ancient cultures became popular, the appropriation of Egyptian relics and cultures came to England.  Egyptian aesthetic influenced décor and eventually Egyptomania led to macabre events, such as “unwrapping” parties, which involved obtaining a mummy to unwrap as a social event. These social events became so popular that one gentleman wrote that he had been to over forty of these unwrapping’s.

This history on Wilde brought a lot of new ideas into my head as we are getting ready to read some of his work in class. I am interested to see if there are any hints of homosexuality inside of his work. Some claimed that his work is what damned him as a gay because it was so evident within his writings. Others claim that there is no trace of homosexuality inside of his work and that he was able to keep his personal feelings out of his writings. I also thought it was interesting to read more about the community inside London and their knowledge of homosexuality.

The easy use of the railway is extremely evident in Mary Braddon’s, Lady Audley’s Secret. In this novel, Lucy is able to use the railway to move to a new city where no one knows her name or her past. She is able to use travel as a way to re-invent herself. The use of travel is also what helps her keep her secret. When needed to, she travels far to stay hidden from the character George. She also quickly runs to London to recover evidence from Robert’s apartment. She goes wherever she wants, usually alone, and no one thinks it weird or questions it.