The representations of masculinity and femininity portrayed by Thornton and her supporting cast in the previous two chapters, though telling of the expectations of behavior, need to be placed in the context of the contemporary public media. The extent to which the media sought to downplay any implications of transgressive behavior will be determined in light of the expected reading audience. Additionally, this section will examine the changing nature of the media industry during the 1830s and of the types of media that she appeared in.
Thornton’s popularity among the contemporary public was illuminated in reports of crowds outside the dwellings she stayed in on her journey back to Ireland. As was the tradition in female sailor media, the name …show more content…
Number of articles aside, outlining the literature market and the importance of and access to the specific media types available to different social classes informs the access the larger reading public had to her story. Visual entertainment at the turn of the nineteenth century, particularly in London, saw a huge upsurge as theatre construction reached new highs. This fiercely competitive and increasingly commercial form of entertainment was highly conscious of the importance of the use of stardom to bring in audiences. It was in this consciousness that the proprietress of a theatre sought Thornton to appear on stage, as she would have undoubtedly attracted a sizable crowd due to the high level of proliferation of her story. Thornton’s story emerged during a period of rapid expansion of the literate public, meaning a far greater number had the ability to read the stories that were printed on her. At the end of the eighteenth century, rapid growth in reading, ‘occurred in all levels of strata, whether characterized by income, by occupation…by geographical location, by age, or by gender’. The first half of the nineteenth century brought about increased popular demand for education, rested on several factors but significantly the flourishing market for cheap, popular literature on a huge
Thornton’s popularity among the contemporary public was illuminated in reports of crowds outside the dwellings she stayed in on her journey back to Ireland. As was the tradition in female sailor media, the name …show more content…
Number of articles aside, outlining the literature market and the importance of and access to the specific media types available to different social classes informs the access the larger reading public had to her story. Visual entertainment at the turn of the nineteenth century, particularly in London, saw a huge upsurge as theatre construction reached new highs. This fiercely competitive and increasingly commercial form of entertainment was highly conscious of the importance of the use of stardom to bring in audiences. It was in this consciousness that the proprietress of a theatre sought Thornton to appear on stage, as she would have undoubtedly attracted a sizable crowd due to the high level of proliferation of her story. Thornton’s story emerged during a period of rapid expansion of the literate public, meaning a far greater number had the ability to read the stories that were printed on her. At the end of the eighteenth century, rapid growth in reading, ‘occurred in all levels of strata, whether characterized by income, by occupation…by geographical location, by age, or by gender’. The first half of the nineteenth century brought about increased popular demand for education, rested on several factors but significantly the flourishing market for cheap, popular literature on a huge