Character Commentary -
I was uplifted by joy after coming across this notecard/image showing these courtesans helping a man inside with their looks and grace. This represented me in a way before my responsibilities of Vivie. I know this was seen as an extremely immoral way to make one’s living and support a child who is taught the right principles and values, but was I left with a choice? However, to the people reading this, opportunities for women were scarce ruining my financial status within society. I was wretched with having a poor family background with little-to-no financial backing to support basic human needs. The world was cruel to women of my time, where the men seek to control our freedom indirectly inheriting lifelong domestic slavery. Do I not have my freedom to create my own fortune? Do I not have a duty to provide for my family? Do I not have a reason to create my own independence? I deserve to fight for all of these things for myself. Society highly condemns such actions by women, yet society is built upon a patriarchal dominance of hypocrisy made to exploit women like me and ultimately preserving their own power. I strictly refuse to give, I refuse to fall, I refuse to bow down to such self-righteous beliefs alternatively I will resist such ideologies and focus on shaping my own destiny. I believe I have no reason to explain further, I stand with my head up, defying any concerns of regret or apologies. Alas, I did what I had to do in order to create the best environment for my child, as any loving mother would do.
Editorial Commentary -
When I came across Mrs. Warrens book, I saw this satirist image presented from 1812, London Metropolitan Archives (Victorian Era) showcasing an obese man being coaxed by two courtesans into a warm bath probably highlighting the idea of prostitution. Upon reading Mrs. Warren’s entries within the book I learned that Mrs. Warren had to take on prostitution as a way of earning a livelihood. With the inclusion of her commentary, it was deducible how the women of the 18th century faced many hardships due to the dependent morals that society wanted them to live by. Her strong determination can be seen driven by her natural maternal affection towards Vivie, ensuring a stable background for her in the future. In a time where opportunities for women were critically limited, “it was no wonder that so many women took to prostitution, when the alternatives were so grim” (Picard). Mrs. Warren remained motivated in creating a stable financial status for her family. Mrs. Warren’s defense challenged traditional societal norms of women subjected to domestic work rather advocating for them to be more independent. She exposes the hypocrisy of a society that discredited her while benefitting indirectly from economic systems that pushed women like her into prostitution. Mrs. Warren; however, “rejected [these] unwanted destinies as second-class wives and mothers and challenged new ambitions” (Jolly). Mrs. Warren’s emotions play a significant role in her book as she seems to be frustrated with the hypocritical norms of the Victorian Era. Overall, Mrs. Warren’s defense and book serves as a significant historical document emphasizing hardships that women of the Victorian Era endured
Sources:
Margaretta, Jolly. “Feminist literature: puncturing the spectacle.” British Library, 25 May 2016. https://www.bl.uk/20th-century-literature/articles/feminist-literature-…. Accessed October 3, 2023
Picard, Liza. “The working classes and the poor.” British Library, 14 October 2009. https://www.bl.uk/victorian-britain/articles/the-working-classes-and-th…. Accessed October 2, 2023.
Rowlandson, Thomas. “Courtesans with a client.” London Picture Archive, 1812, https://www.londonpicturearchive.org.uk/view-item?i=18136&WINID=1697080…. Accessed October 2, 2023.