By Jessica S. Trombley

Catherine Louisa Pirkis’s serial, The Experiences of Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective (1893), reflects the evolving expectations concerning women’s roles in Victorian society. The sexist views of women referenced throughout the series remind us of the reality for most women at the time. However, the fact that the serial portrays a female detective as the hero and brains of the story is proof enough of the changing times. Loveday thwarts convention and uses sexist stereotypes to her own advantage.

By Maddie Schutte

By Cecelia Schneeman

By Katherine Oswald