Prostitution and Victorian Society Essay - 2538 Words

Introduction Prostitution looms large in the Victorian consciousness. The image of the fallen woman reflects the Victorian upper classes ideas about sexuality, gender and class. The prostitute is a staple of 19th century fiction. Debate about prostitution is also a reflection of cultural anxiety about urbanization. Victorian ideas about fallenness create the ideological assumptions behind the creation of the Contagious Diseases Acts. Through the control of sexuality, the Acts reinforced existing patterns of class and gender domination. They reflected an acceptance of male sexual license. The double standard allowed male access to fallen women and punished only the women. Fallenness as Literary Motif In Oliver Twist,†¦show more content†¦Cultural beliefs about the fallen woman necessitated that she be victim of a sacrificial death. While her death may have seemed shocking to us, there is no other way that Dickens could have told her story. Nancy is lost beyond redemption and although she had a heart of gold, her fallenness necessitates her death. To have redeemed her would have justified prostitution, or at least acknowledged the fact that it could be a temporary state, and not the road to ruin and a horrible and lonely death. Olivers mother is also a fallen woman who meets a sacrificial death although her heart is apparently good. Her entire family is also consequently ruined. This reads as particularly tragic since she was not seduced by a rake, but by someone who intended to marry her. No matter; she also had to be sacrificed to fallenness, along with her entire family. It is a cautionary tale. There are two examples of fallenness in Mary Barton. One is Mary Barton herself, who is seduced by dreams of improving her social status via the upper-class Carson. Her lust for wealth leaves her at the mercy of this rake, who has no intention of marrying her anyway. The true fallen woman is Marys aunt Esther. She is destined for the street by her love of clothing, finery, and her class aspirations. When John Barton encounters her on the street again she is the epitome of the streetwalker, bereft of dignity, morality, and the possibility of salvation. Both Oliver Twist an Mary BartonShow MoreRelatedVictorian Era: The Start of Corruption in Moral Values1594 Words   |  7 PagesLasting from 1837 to 1901, the Victorian Era followed the Romantic Era. Starting and ending with the reign of Queen Elizabeth, this time period is now viewed as strict, prudish, and â€Å"old fashioned,† especially in comparison to today. During those times, the people had to follow a certain standard of living; they were upright people that were modest and controlled. Society at the time adhered to rules such as wearing clothes that covered the women head to toe and abiding by the proper etiquette ofRead More Prostitution in the Victorian Era Essay630 Words   |  3 PagesProstitution in the Victorian Era There were many prostitutes during the Victorian era. Most were lower-class women, with the exception of the mistresses kept by upper-class men. According to Victorian standards, respectable women did not consider sexual intercourse pleasurable. It was their duty to be intimate with their husbands. Having affairs was disgraceful (Waters). Prostitutes, on the other hand, were sexually intimate with men because they enjoyed sex. Men enjoyed prostitutesRead MoreSocial Classes, Prostitution and Jack the Ripper in the 19th Century England1227 Words   |  5 Pagesbut dozens of new layers of society appeared. While the rich lived to the fullest, the lower class starved and needed to find alternative ways of money making. Prostitution became more and more widespread, which lead to an inequality and social stratification between poor and rich and due to the economical crisis the number of prostitutes grew from year to year. Aristocrats and nobility looked down on the working cl ass with judgement and disgust, and when prostitution became legalized in EnglandRead MoreProstitution in Victorian England Essay1245 Words   |  5 PagesJudith Walkowitz’s book Prostitution and Victorian Society: Women, Class, and the State, deals with the social and economic impact that prostitution had on English society in the mid to late 19th century. Throughout her piece Walkowitz illustrates the plight of women who are in the prostitution field and that are working the streets throughout England. She starts with the background of most of the prostitutes in Victorian England then talks about the Contagious Disease Act in 1864 that attemptedRead MoreBeing A Sex Worker, By George Bernard Shaw1511 Words   |  7 Pagesclearly immoral and despicable, but what about prostitution? In modern society, the word â€Å"prostitute† might understandably bring many negative connotations to one s mind - pimps... sexual abuse...slavery, even - especially considering the vast options women in the modern workforce have. One could also assume that no one would ever want to become willful sex worker, but some may see it as a necessary evil to provide for themselves. In Victorian Society, being a sex worker may have been one of theRead MorePro Legalization of Prostitution Essay1151 Words   |  5 PagesPro Legalization of Prostitution The world’s largest trade, prostitution, has always found ways to overcome the legal attempts to suppress it. Prostitution has become one of the most common trades throughout the world. Many poor countries have turned to prostitution as an outlet from their economic difficulties. It is the easiest from of labor for those who do not have a proper education or the economic background to join the legal labor force. Many men and women haveRead MoreImages of Victorian Women by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Essay1012 Words   |  5 PagesThe Victorian Era was one of great changes in England. Revolutionary movements, such as the Chartist demonstration and the fall of the Second Empire in France, paved the way for new ideologies. The Pre-Raphaelites were inspired by the changing atmosphere of the times and through their art attempted to introduce emotion, realism and originality back into British painting. The members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood were John Everett Millais, William Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, F.G. StephensRead MoreCritical Analysis Of Mrs. Warrens Profession1482 Words   |  6 PagesShaw, was nothing short of offensive at its release, mostly due to its ability to shine light on the darkest corners of Victorian society – specifically regarding women’s opportunities (or lack of). The dynamic female leads, Mrs. Kitty Warren and her daughter, Vivie, firmly embrac e and encompass the concept of the â€Å"New Woman,† meaning one that didn’t succumb into traditional Victorian roles and expectations. The play focuses on themes of morality and capitalism and how they interact, often leading toRead MoreWomen s Professions Of Victorian England945 Words   |  4 PagesDeidre Harris Mrs. Arnett English 1123 19 April 2017 â€Å"Women’s Professions in Victorian England† A women’s profession can define her character in society during the Victorian Era. Women are known for strong work ethic. Originally a woman supposed to take care the house hold while the man work. The Victorian society was based off three classes. The Upper Class, Middle Class, and the Working Class. The Upper Class hold the most power because they were given authority, the best living, and controlRead MoreThe Era Of The Victorian Era1565 Words   |  7 PagesThe Victorian Era is a period prominent in harboring peace, prosperity as well as introducing the later shifts in industrial and political reforms. Queen Victoria a notable person of the era, began her reign in 1837 and influenced England by the values she encouraged. The Victorian Era is divided into four categories: â€Å"The Early Period is known as â€Å"A time of Troubles†, The Mid-Victorian Period, The Late Period and The Nineties.†(Stephen Greenblatt). The Nineties is thoroughly separated among the