While I appreciate the efforts made by “self-devoted women to co-operate in the work”, I find it insulting to all women that there must be houses for the recovery of fallen women. The term “fallen woman” to describe a woman who has only participated in prostitution or sex out of wedlock is quite insulting itself. The society that we live in today is unreasonable for shunning a woman for this reason. Prostitution, an industry that would not exist without the uncontrollable sexual needs by men, is the main source of income for many women who are unable to find work or for those who cannot sustain themselves or their family with their current occupation. Sex out of wedlock should also not be looked down upon as women should have the same freedom as men to explore their sexuality. Society allows men to have sex for pleasure as often as they desire while a woman should only have sex for the sole purpose of reproduction. I am completely abashed by how society treats these women for participating in the same acts that men do on a daily basis. Aside from the use of the term “fallen women”, naming the house the London Diocesan Penitentiary is inappropriate as the term “penitentiary” is associated with prisons. If these houses are working to help these women, its name should not correlate to imprisonment. In addition, calling the women in these houses “patients” is disrespectful in that it insinuates that these “fallen women” are sick when they have done nothing truly evil. The advertisement for this house is completely absurd for trying to put these women on a path that only follows the standards set by society.
Editorial Commentary: This advertisement demonstrates how “fallen women” were viewed and mistreated by society. Women were considered “fallen” during the Victorian Era when they participated in acts such as prostitution or sex outside of marriage. They were put into these houses where they could “recover” and receive forgiveness by society through religion, specifically Christianity. According to the British Library, these houses “gave shelter and work to these women, seeking to rehabilitate them and steer them on to a more socially acceptable path.” Based on this woman's opinions, I would classify her as a New Woman because she is against these houses due to her belief that women should be able to explore their sexuality freely without being shunned by society. Society believes that women should only be able to have sex once they are married with the single reason of reproduction and that prostitution makes a woman impure and sinful. However, the New Woman advocates for women to be independent and do what they want, even when it goes against what society believes to be “correct”. The terms “fallen women”, “penitentiary”, and “patient” belittle women by saying that they are unfit for society once they participate in one of these shameful acts and that they must recover before they return. This woman sees the double standards that women must live with during this time and advocates for more equality between men and women. As a New Woman, she would speak out against the prejudice experienced by all women and promote going against societal expectations and getting rid of the existing gender roles.
Citation:
Twining, Edward. “Advertisement for the London Diocesan Penitentiary.” The Morning Post, 13 April 1860, https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/advertisement-for-a-house-for-fallen…. Accessed 9 November 2020.
Hrkincaid. “Advertisement for a Magdalen House.” The Fallen Woman in Nineteenth-Century British Literature and Culture, 31 Mar. 2018, english637fallenwoman.wordpress.com/2018/03/31/advertisement-for-a-magdalen-house/.