The Belladonna trilogy is set in the Victorian period, which roughly coincides with the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Strict social and legal restrictions on women of all backgrounds characterized this era. Though Foxglove’s primary female characters have slightly more options than other characters due to their families’ wealth, women from all classes in Victorian Britain had few options, particularly when it came to marriage.

Although some widows and single women could hold property, under the laws of coverture, a woman’s husband subsumed all of her rights and property after marriage. Similarly, a woman’s autonomy and identity combined with those of her husband. Women had few or no personal rights over their bodies or life choices. They were expected to marry and have children, and this was the only realistic prospect for the vast majority of them. Independent or single women were treated with suspicion and disapproval if wealthy and ridiculed if poor, as their lack of male attachment was considered unnatural. Young single women were expected to behave demurely, guided by their families’ preferences in accepting a marriage proposal. 

Etiquette manuals and guidebooks, popular among young Victorian women, warned particularly against the consequences for women who did not remain entirely chaste. Following the rules of etiquette was especially important for young women in search of a husband. Women like Diana, Eliza, and even Blythe would have been seen as scandalous for their gossip and lack of propriety. In the spring, the wealthiest families would bring their unmarried daughters to the city for their “debut” in society, officially marking their entrance into the marriage market. Afterward, the sooner they married the better, and ending their first “season” with an engagement was a goal for many.

The story arcs of characters like Charlotte, Diana, and Eliza demonstrate common situations for wealthy women of marriageable age. Signa’s independently wealthy circumstances, however, were extremely rare at this time, as was Blythe’s lack of interest in marriage. Foxglove frequently challenges Victorian courting and marriage norms, especially as Grace often focuses on relationships based on love. Signa’s relationship with Death and Eliza’s relationship with Percy, founded upon mutual interest rather than money or social maneuvering, were exceptions to the rules of Victorian dating. Yet while Signa and Death’s relationship exists outside the bounds of human Victorian society, Eliza faces more realistic consequences for having a sexual relationship before marriage. Her hasty marriage to Byron at the end of the novel illustrates Victorian women’s dependence on men for stability in society. This marriage, along with Blythe’s marriage to Fate, reflects the many unwanted but necessary marriages that women in Victorian society endured.