The New Woman's Commonplace Book

Character (The New Woman): May 24th, 1887

I found this parchment today. I hear she will be speaking late tonight. My husband is in the room near me, but I am sure once he lays to rest that I will be able to sneak out without a trace. If it were easy in this world, I wouldn’t even have a husband to worry about. I would rather be on my own like Mrs. Georgina fights for. She is the strongest woman I have heard of. She is fearless. I have only heard of her lectures on our rights as women and on the lunacy acts. My dear cousin was in the institution. They called her crazy for defying…

Character: May 30th, 1887

It has only been a week since I heard Georgina Weldon speak on lunancy laws and the patriarchy. I cannot seem to get her and my dear cousin out of my head. Maybe I do belong in the asylum. I do not know much, but I know she is right. This is wrong. Women have been treated poorly. I purchased a train ticket today. I had been saving the spare change I have been finding on the street on my way to the grocers, and on the floor of the laundrette by the clothes wringers. I have kept this money hidden from my drunkard husband. I do not know where I am going or…

Character: December 5th, 1895

It has been a long time since I have written, almost over eight years. Since leaving my husband so much has changed. Georgina was not just a woman who discussed lunacy laws, she was a woman who helped me escape my marriage, escape who I used to be. I received my teaching degree from the University of London and have been teaching for the last couple of years. I am particularly fond of the time I spend in the library. Teaching does not provide much pay, but it's the next fight I have been working on with my peers. I was told that once my then husband…