The Ministry of Public Decency: Difference between revisions
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== The Ministry in the Skies == | == The Ministry in the Skies == | ||
<blockquote>''"A huge, horseshoe-shaped building of white stone, white columns, clocks, and iron gates. Inside, its walls are panelled with dark wood. Crimson carpets – worn by frequent passage – flood the floors. Within its cubby-hole offices, auditors toil to protect the sensibilities of Londoners here in the heathen sky."''<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Ministries#The_Ministry_of_Public_Decency The Ministry of Public Decency, ''Sunless Skies'']</ref></blockquote>In the ''Sunless Skies'' timeline, by 1906, the Ministry of Public Decency has been reestablished in a grand edifice in [[New London]].<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Ministries#The_Ministry_of_Public_Decency The Ministry of Public Decency, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"A huge, horseshoe-shaped building of white stone, white columns, clocks, and iron gates. Inside, its walls are panelled with dark wood. Crimson carpets – worn by frequent passage – flood the floors. Within its cubby-hole offices, auditors toil to protect the sensibilities of Londoners here in the heathen sky."''</ref> The Ministry still retains its original purpose of censorship, but it has gained an additional objective of upholding "Britishness."<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Ministries#The_Ministries The Ministries, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"[...] the Ministry of Public Decency (which curates the notion of 'Britishness' with the same care a lepidopterist uses to pin a butterfly to a board.)"''</ref> Captains are encouraged to gather port reports and surrender contraband to the Information Office,<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Ministries#The_Ministry_of_Public_Decency Request an appointment, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"Best thing for a someone like yourself to do is to gather reports on nearby ports. I'm sure the Information Office would love to hear them. Then I could pop your name in this little book, and up you go!"''</ref> allowing them to gain the favor of the Ministry as well as material rewards.<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Ministries#The_Ministry_of_Public_Decency Deliver your port reports to the Genial Auditor, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"He listens intently, writing notes on a pad of paper. His comments are absolutely neutral. [...] Afterwards, he writes a requisition form for you. "Just pop this into Finance on your way out, and they'll see to the needful," he says. "Terribly grateful. Best keep this information to yourself though, eh? Rest assured we are experts. We'll ensure it's handled sensitively.""''</ref> | <blockquote>''"A huge, horseshoe-shaped building of white stone, white columns, clocks, and iron gates. Inside, its walls are panelled with dark wood. Crimson carpets – worn by frequent passage – flood the floors. Within its cubby-hole offices, auditors toil to protect the sensibilities of Londoners here in the heathen sky."''<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Ministries#The_Ministry_of_Public_Decency The Ministry of Public Decency, ''Sunless Skies'']</ref></blockquote>In the ''Sunless Skies'' timeline, by 1906, the Ministry of Public Decency has been reestablished in a grand edifice in [[New London]].<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Ministries#The_Ministry_of_Public_Decency The Ministry of Public Decency, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"A huge, horseshoe-shaped building of white stone, white columns, clocks, and iron gates. Inside, its walls are panelled with dark wood. Crimson carpets – worn by frequent passage – flood the floors. Within its cubby-hole offices, auditors toil to protect the sensibilities of Londoners here in the heathen sky."''</ref> The Ministry still retains its original purpose of censorship, but it has gained an additional objective of upholding "Britishness."<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Ministries#The_Ministries The Ministries, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"[...] the Ministry of Public Decency (which curates the notion of 'Britishness' with the same care a lepidopterist uses to pin a butterfly to a board.)"''</ref> Captains are encouraged to gather port reports and surrender contraband to the Information Office,<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Ministries#The_Ministry_of_Public_Decency Request an appointment, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"Best thing for a someone like yourself to do is to gather reports on nearby ports. I'm sure the Information Office would love to hear them. Then I could pop your name in this little book, and up you go!"''</ref> allowing them to gain the favor of the Ministry as well as material rewards.<ref>[https://sunlessskies.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Ministries#The_Ministry_of_Public_Decency Deliver your port reports to the Genial Auditor, ''Sunless Skies''] ''"He listens intently, writing notes on a pad of paper. His comments are absolutely neutral. [...] Afterwards, he writes a requisition form for you. "Just pop this into Finance on your way out, and they'll see to the needful," he says. "Terribly grateful. Best keep this information to yourself though, eh? Rest assured we are experts. We'll ensure it's handled sensitively.""''</ref> | ||
== Historical & Cultural Inspirations == | |||
The Victorian era was marked by concerted efforts to regulate public morality through various forms of censorship. A key legislative milestone in the formalization of censorship was the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obscene_Publications_Act_1857 Obscene Publications Act of 1857], also known as Lord Campbell’s Act. This law empowered courts to define and suppress obscene materials, granting authorities the right to seize and destroy such content. It represented a significant institutionalization of moral oversight, aimed explicitly at preventing the corruption of public morals. Although the lapse of the Licensing Act in 1695 had formally ended pre-publication censorship in Britain, Victorian authorities continued to exercise control over published content through legal prosecution and public pressure. The theatre remained an exception: under the authority of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, dramatic works were subject to prior approval and could be censored or banned outright if deemed inappropriate. | |||
Meanwhile, the latter half of the 19th century saw a rise in xenophobia, especially in urban centers like London. Increased immigration, combined with broader cultural anxieties, contributed to a growing distrust of foreign communities. Jewish neighborhoods, particularly in areas such as Whitechapel, were often met with suspicion and became scapegoats for urban problems—including the notorious failure to solve the Jack the Ripper murders in 1888. Victorian literature both reflected and reinforced these xenophobic sentiments. Gothic fiction, most notably Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897), served as a vehicle for expressing fears of the foreign "other" invading and corrupting British society. The character of Dracula has frequently been interpreted as a symbol of invasive foreign influence, posing a threat to English purity and order. Print media also contributed to this atmosphere of suspicion. Publications like Punch magazine frequently caricatured and criticized immigrant communities, especially Italian newcomers, portraying them as destabilizing forces within the social fabric. | |||
The convergence of censorship and xenophobia became particularly evident in the suppression of materials associated with foreign influences. Authorities, alongside moral reform societies, actively targeted literature and performances that introduced or promoted ideas perceived as subversive or culturally alien. This environment fostered a concerted effort to preserve a narrowly defined British identity by marginalizing alternative voices and narratives. | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
Revision as of 01:57, 6 April 2025
"The Ministry of Public Decency confiscates all manner of wicked, unsuitable and valuable books."[1]
The Ministry of Public Decency is London’s primary censorship authority, operating under the command of Mr Pages.
It's A Beautiful Thing, The Destruction Of Words
"If your new department is to become a reality, you must convince the men from the Ministry that you don't represent a threat to order and decency. You must arrange and edit your works to prove yourself entirely harmless."[2]
Established shortly after the Fall of London in 1862, the Ministry was originally founded to review and censor mail arriving from the Surface.[3] In its earliest days, it had only two members: Mr Pages, acting as its Minister, and the Efficient Commissioner,[3] who shouldered the majority of the Ministry’s operations.[4] Since then, it has grown into one of the most powerful and feared institutions in the city.
While the Ministry maintains strict control over written, spoken, and physical content, it is most notorious for its draconian regulation of the written word and confiscation of all manner of "indecent" books. It restricts the manufacture and ownership of printing presses,[5] requiring all publications to be submitted for evaluation.[6] Forbidden texts are often incinerated in the Ministry’s vault-furnaces,[7] which are heavily secured facilities to which only a handful of Auditors possess the keys.[8] Even private letters are not beyond the Ministry’s reach, as mail is routinely examined for subversive content.[9] Confiscated items are stored at various locations around London,[10] but the most dangerous are held at Hookman House, a heavily guarded and fortified archive.[11]
The Ministry additionally requires that public performances be licensed, either through official channels or through bribes,[12] and prohibits any open discussion of the Correspondence.[13] Its agents regularly patrol the University to monitor students and scholars.[14][15] Given the Ministry's vast network and relentless pursuit of censorship, the city's revolutionary elements will take any opportunity to undermine its efforts.[16]
Big Br- er, The Ministry Is Watching You
"A Special Constable at your door! The Specials serve the Ministry of Public Decency. One might say they are guardians against the final fall of night, or catspaws of Mr Pages. In either case, they are rarely good news."[17]
A variety of different agents and organizations enforce the Ministry's mandates. Decency Evaluators are infamous for their diligence in rooting out radical ideas, often resorting to burning any subversive material they uncover,[18] but they are not infallible and may be susceptible to bribery due to their low pay.[19] Censors conduct raids to destroy illicit literature,[20] equipped with cudgels, official stamps, and silver Ministry badges,[21] and have the power to raise criminal charges against authors.[22] The Constables are also partially under the Ministry’s control, acting as an extended arm of censorship enforcement;[23] the Special Constables in particular are assigned to deal with the most dangerous of threats to society,[24] like red honey and unwarranted use of the Correspondence.[23] As if all this wasn't enough, the Ministry contracts private detectives to recover proscribed material,[25] and couriers to transport it securely.[26]
The Ministry's reach also extends to other governmental and civic arenas. It keeps tabs on the Foreign Office,[27] assigns auditors to keep anyone without a permit out of the Bazaar's Side-Streets,[28][29] and performs inspections at Wolfstack Docks to root out any contraband beyond the pay grade of the Customs Service.[30] It oversees divorce proceedings,[31] forcing couples through a lengthy and grueling legal process before separation is allowed.[32][33][34] Lastly (but far from least), it has participated in the organization of major public events and institutions, including the Museum of Mistakes,[35] the Mayoral Elections,[36] and the Grand Clearing-Out.[37]
The Ministry in the Skies
"A huge, horseshoe-shaped building of white stone, white columns, clocks, and iron gates. Inside, its walls are panelled with dark wood. Crimson carpets – worn by frequent passage – flood the floors. Within its cubby-hole offices, auditors toil to protect the sensibilities of Londoners here in the heathen sky."[38]
In the Sunless Skies timeline, by 1906, the Ministry of Public Decency has been reestablished in a grand edifice in New London.[39] The Ministry still retains its original purpose of censorship, but it has gained an additional objective of upholding "Britishness."[40] Captains are encouraged to gather port reports and surrender contraband to the Information Office,[41] allowing them to gain the favor of the Ministry as well as material rewards.[42]
Historical & Cultural Inspirations
The Victorian era was marked by concerted efforts to regulate public morality through various forms of censorship. A key legislative milestone in the formalization of censorship was the Obscene Publications Act of 1857, also known as Lord Campbell’s Act. This law empowered courts to define and suppress obscene materials, granting authorities the right to seize and destroy such content. It represented a significant institutionalization of moral oversight, aimed explicitly at preventing the corruption of public morals. Although the lapse of the Licensing Act in 1695 had formally ended pre-publication censorship in Britain, Victorian authorities continued to exercise control over published content through legal prosecution and public pressure. The theatre remained an exception: under the authority of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, dramatic works were subject to prior approval and could be censored or banned outright if deemed inappropriate.
Meanwhile, the latter half of the 19th century saw a rise in xenophobia, especially in urban centers like London. Increased immigration, combined with broader cultural anxieties, contributed to a growing distrust of foreign communities. Jewish neighborhoods, particularly in areas such as Whitechapel, were often met with suspicion and became scapegoats for urban problems—including the notorious failure to solve the Jack the Ripper murders in 1888. Victorian literature both reflected and reinforced these xenophobic sentiments. Gothic fiction, most notably Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897), served as a vehicle for expressing fears of the foreign "other" invading and corrupting British society. The character of Dracula has frequently been interpreted as a symbol of invasive foreign influence, posing a threat to English purity and order. Print media also contributed to this atmosphere of suspicion. Publications like Punch magazine frequently caricatured and criticized immigrant communities, especially Italian newcomers, portraying them as destabilizing forces within the social fabric.
The convergence of censorship and xenophobia became particularly evident in the suppression of materials associated with foreign influences. Authorities, alongside moral reform societies, actively targeted literature and performances that introduced or promoted ideas perceived as subversive or culturally alien. This environment fostered a concerted effort to preserve a narrowly defined British identity by marginalizing alternative voices and narratives.
References
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