The Public Health Act of 1848

Public Health Act of 1848

The Public Health Act of 1848 was the first step in paving the road to improving public health. In 1842, Edwin Chadwick published his essay, "The Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain," paying the price of publication himself as the Poor Law Commission did not want to be associated with it. In his report, Chadwick argued that spending the money to improve public health would be cost effective, as less people would seek poor relief if the health of the poor improved. He considered the most important steps in improving health to be bettering drainage and sewage systems, removing wastes from homes and roads, ensuring clean drinking water, and appointing a medical officer in each town. After yet another severe cholera outbreak in the summer of 1848, the government was forced to act and passed the Public Heath Act of 1848. This Act established a Central Board of Health, but it had limited powers and no money; it provided a framework that could be used by local authorities, but could not compel much action. Even though the Public Health Act of 1848 may not have been able to ennact much action, it started the conversation and paved the way for improvements in health to happen. 

Dearest Paulina,

Will my woes never be alleviated? Will I never find peace in this cruel world? So many lives that I love have been lost--and what am I to do? Benjamin held a high temperature for the last fortnight and stopped taking water Sunday afternoon. He claimed he was so thirsty, yet the well water seemed to worsen his countenance. I remained by his bedside during the day, cleaning after his messes and messes against his own person. My dear friend, he appeared in his doom but mother assured me of his recovery! Alas, she told a lie! This morning, when I entered to change his bed cloths, I found my dear brother laying cold and green. He would not respond to my inquiries of his countenance; he would not respond at all. I held my pocket mirror to his nose and alas, no fog! My dearest brother, dead! And now, I am plagued with a deeper fear, for I have noticed my mother is of lower spirits than usual, and has had trouble keeping her meals ingested. I fear, Paulina, that my mother will meet the same doom as Benjamin, and what am I to do? How, Paulina--how did you remain composed in your father's illness? How did you keep your faith and hope? I must be strong, but who will be here if she leaves? What will become of me if my home becomes grave? I am not yet married, and will surely have to find work to support myself--but my friend, as a governess? I fear such a life of seclusion! I fear being alone, Paulina! I fear that the health of my loved ones will never improve, but I would rather perish in their same fate than live a life alone!

Works Cited

"The 1848 Public Health Act." UK Parliament, 2020, www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/towncountry/towns/tyne-and-wear-case-study/about-the-group/public-administration/the-1848-public-health-act/. 

"Local Board of Health." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 May 2020,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_board_of_health.

"Public Health Act 1848 and the General Board of Health."  Policy Navigator, 2020, The Health Foundation. 

navigator.health.org.uk/theme/public-health-act-1848-and-general-board-health.

1851 Religious Census

As we know, religion is a prime theme in the novel that is one of the elements that keep Helen and some of the other characters humble. Helen's course of action in the midst of her plight reflects her strength and her trust in God. After our discussion in class, I realized how I didn't really consider Helen's Christian journey and how that is such a huge factor in her character development. As someone said in class, Helen is a product of her environment and religion was a prime platform that kept people motivated and stable. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall does a great job of displaying the different opinions and personalities that people adhere to within the Christian belief. This now leads me to the census of 1851 which displays the opposite of Helen's strife and values about the Christian faith. 

In the decennium census survey, of 1851, it was discovered that eighty percent of the supporters who visited welsh places of worship were non-conformists while the remaining twenty percent supported the established (catholic) church.

Another thing to consider is secularism went mainstream in England a few years after the set timeframe of the novel. Hints why the census read the way it did. 

 In addition to this, some believe that the results may be skewed because a fifth of the entire population was said to be Anglican while about two-fifths of the population didn't attend church at all (BBC). This was a shock to many in the public eye but they failed to consider those who fall below the poverty line, and the sick and shut-in. Also, this was Britain's one and only religious census. This leads me to believe that whoever was in charge at the moment didn't want news reflecting that the Church of England was losing its fire and that people were now Baptist, Prebestrysterian, Methodist, Calvinist, or etc. This is the turning point in history where followers began to expand within the Abrahamic religion and branch off into a sect that fits better with what they believe in. 

Works Cited 

BBC."Victorian Britain" BBC History. Accessed 28 Nov 2020. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/victorianbritain_timeline_...

BBC. "Religion in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries."BBC Wales History. Accessed 28 Nov 2020. https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/themes/guide/ch16_religion_19t...'s%20one%20and%20only%20religious,Wesleyans%2C%2012%3B%20others%202.

"Comparative Physiognomy" Published

Physiognomy was a popular method of character study in the Victorian Era, in which one would "objectively" deduce a person's morality or personality based on their physical attributes alone. While physiognomy has a deep, intercultural history stretching back far before the 19th century, the practice wasn't widespread until the early 18th century, when European scholars began to develop theories surrounding its' merit as a credible scientific practice ("Physiognomy"). With this cultural emergence in popularity, English authors such as Charlotte Bronte began to employ physiognomy in their writing as a means to not only describe a character's appearance but to also provide the reader with context as to whether or not a character's appearance would fit within the contextual conventions of attractiveness in the depicted society. For example, in Villette, Mme. Beck employs M. Paul to scan Lucy Snowe's facial features as a quick judge of her character to determine whether or not she should be permitted entry into the pensionnat (Bronte). One year before Villette was published, Comparative Physiognomy by James Redfield was published in the United States in 1852-- showing how the scope of this phenomena extended beyond Europe, into the New World. In Comparative Physiognomy, Redfield compares human attributes and their level of trustworthiness to characteristics of wild animals, similar to Bronte's description of Graham's red hair in Villette as "lion's locks" (Chap. III). In modern times, physiognomy has become seen as a pseudoscience that was used previously as a means to justify prejudice against unconventional appearances.

Presently, I still find myself aghast from this most stunning revelation in regards to the "esteemed" Dr. John. How could a figure depicted so benevolently be revealed a miscreant so foul as Graham Bretton? Surely, a man so practiced in physiognomy such as M. Paul could not look into the eyes of a demon and allow him passage into the pensionnat of his own beloved cousin! I fear the savage's favorably fair skin, Celtic lineaments, and otherwise facetious disposition have blinded M. Paul of any sensibility. Moreover, I pray this revelation of Dr. John's true identity to not be prophetic of impending calamity. Still, I ponder how his transgressions can go seemingly unnoticed. Is his countenance of sin not clear as day? Do his auburn locks not conjure up an imminent betrayal akin to that of Judas? Alas, it would not be the first time one of his kind has hidden their perfidious nature. Ere long, the light of day will shine upon his mane of "chestnut" and reveal those hidden shades of hellfire. I pray this happens before he corrupts any more souls of the people of Rue Fossette. The global physiognomic studies of man, as provided by God and science, prove him guilty. My conjecture predicts this beastly lion has masked his indignant machinations through the subtle malpractice of his profession. Oh, how sardonic his fate has proven! No doctor could craft a draught to cure such a malady, no repentance could heal the afflictions of inherited sin.

Works Cited

Bronte, Charlotte. "Villette." COVE Studio, 2020,  https://studio.covecollective.org/documents/villette-2. Accessed 12 Sept 2020.

"Physiognomy" Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Aug 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physiognomy. Accessed 12 Sept 2020.

Redfield, James. "Comparative Physiognomy: or, Resemblances Between Men and Animals (1852)." The Public Domain Review, https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/comparative-physiognomy-or-res.... Accessed 12 Sept 2020.

First Public Aquarium

According to Wikipedia, “The first public aquarium was opened in London Zoo in May 1853.”(Wikipedia, 2020) This public aquarium was known as the Fish House. This set the stage for other new and enthusiastic public attraction owners and up and coming attraction owners such as P.T. Barnum to follow suit with their own aquarium attractions. Barnum’s aquarium was established in 1856 as a part of his American Museum located in Broadway in New York City until unfortunately it burned to the ground. I think that people living in 1853 England would find this concept of a housing of aquatic animals to be very strange and kind of alarming with the only thing between their families and themselves and these massive sea creatures being a pane of glass. 

I take another drag of my pipe as I read the final headline that will grace my eyes in the morning's paper. "Martha, what's this I'm reading about this here ‘public aquarium’ at the London Zoo? Says here it’s the first of its kind, but I can’t seem to figure out what in tarnation the damn thing is! What say we take the kids the day after tomorrow, huh?” “Well that sounds lovely, George.” “Great, pack your things, I still don’t know what the hell this damn thing is, could be gone for a whole month, hell maybe even a year! You’d think they would advertise these things a little better don’t ya think, Martha?” “Yes, George.” “You think little Billy and Annie would like it?” “I don’t know, George.” “Gah, what the hell. They’ll love it. You’ll love it. I’ll probably hate it, but that’s what I’ve got me pipe for, ah?” “Yes, George.” I turn to the back page of today’s paper, the funnies page. “Aha, Martha come here you’ve gotta see this. You’ll never guess what this little pussycat did! He kicked his milk off the table and *wheezing* and then *more wheezing* he drank it off the floor!” “Yes, George.” 

“1853 In the United Kingdom.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 June 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1853_in_the_United_Kingdom.

“Public Aquarium.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Aug. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_aquarium.

Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857

The Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857 was one of several acts passed by Parliament from 1857 to 1878, reforming the law on divorce. Before 1857, divorce for the average person was almost impossible, especially for women. Women were under complete control of her husband, and had no power if he was having an affair, or abusing her in any way. The law required proof of adultery of either party, but a woman also had to show proof of cruelty from her husband. However, a woman could still lose custody of her children if she was found guilty of adultery. In addition, because women’s property became their husbands after marriage at this time, if a woman attempted to separate herself from her marriage, her husband would retain legal claim over all of her assets. The threat of being left with no money and the loss of children forced many women into staying in a bad marriage. 

By passing the Act, divorce became a matter of the court rather than church which was opposed by many, the Church of England being the biggest opposer. 

A huge advocate for divorce reform in order to give women rights was Caroline Norton, an English social reformer, and author of such works as “Brief Summary in Plain Language of the Most Important Laws Concerning Women”, and “English Laws for Women in the 19th Century”, among many others. Norton’s own marriage was abusive, and the trappings of marriage under law at this time inspired her to rally for change, and protection for women. She even wrote desperate letters to Queen Victoria, pleading for help for all the women trapped by their husbands, which had a major influence on getting the Act passed by Parliament. 

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was published in 1848, with the novel taking place in the 1820s. Bronte used the character of Helen Huntington to address the unfortunately common occurrence of women trapped in bad and abusive marriages. Had this act existed when the novel took place, Helen would not have had to resort to running away and living in hiding in order to remove herself and her son from her husband's influence.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/familyhistory/bloodlines/familysecrets.shtml?entry=matrimonial_causes_act&theme=familysecrets

Matrimonial_Causes_Act_1857

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Caroline-Norton

First Female Artist enrolled to Royal Academy

Even though the prestigious Royal Academy of Arts was founded in London in 1768 with the help of two women, no woman was ever enrolled to the Royal Academy Schools for the study of academic art until 1860-- and the two founding female members were scarcely referenced or formally recognized by the other founders ("Women Artists"). Laura Herford made history by being the first woman to be enrolled as a student to the Royal Academy Schools in 1860. The official public allowance for the admittance of women to the Royal Academy was not officially recognized until 1861, despite petitions for women to be accepted to the Royal Academy being submitted since the 1840s. Even though her career as an artist was short-lived due to her death in 1870, Laura Herford made history by being admitted to the Royal Academy Schools by signing her drawing applications with the vague initial, "L. Herford." It was assumed that the ambiguity of her signature helped mask her gender from the admissions tutors, but she was offered a position regardless based solely on the merit of her artistic rendering ("Laura Herford"). Published in 1848, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte directly addressed some of these long-standing issues of respecting women's' representation in the field of professional art by Bronte writing a female artist character named Helen Graham who challenged the cultural taboo of women making a profession out of art-- especially as a means to live independently (Bronte). Helen Graham had to use similar tricks to the real-life Laura Herford, such as misconstruing her name/gender and sending her works away to be sold for compensation through a third party. Although movements towards professional female artists being culturally acceptable didn't flourish until after the death of Anne Bronte in 1849, women like Laura Herford helped female artists alike get their foot in the door and begin to be recognized as equal-- changing the problematic threshold of conventional art culture as Bronte criticized throughout The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

Works Cited

Bronte, Anne. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. 1848. The COVE. https://studio.covecollective.org/anthologies/frankenstein-or-the-modern.... Accessed 29 Nov 2020.

"Laura Herford." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 May 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Herford. Accessed 29 Nov 2020.

"Women Artists." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Nov 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Herford. Accessed 29 Nov 2020.

Married Women's Property Act of 1870

The Married Women's Property Act of 1870 isn't expressly alluded to within the text, but it does relate to the state in which women are treated at the time. The Property Act allowed women to keep the money and property they earned, rather than it being credited to their husbands. Prior to this, women were seen as the property of their husbands, and thus everything the women would own went towards her husband. The husbands then could even purge the money as they saw fit whether or not it was initially theirs to begin with. With the Act, wages earned by the wife were kept separate from her husband's. Women could also hold and inherit rental properties. There was also a section that made women financially liable along with her husband for their children. While this is definitely leaps and bounds above where Helen and other women were situated in the novel, there were still shortcomings. It mostly dealt with the earnings of a woman and not so much her property rights. it also lacked any retroactive aspects, meaning women like Helen wouldn't have been able to be considered financially separate from their husbands after marriage. Some criticism of the Act pertained to the notion that it didn't seem bent on actually helping women but rather by limiting any potential fraud from married couples looking for extra cash. There also wasn't much explicit equality resulting from the Act since in many ways women were still very much viewed as the property of their husbands by social standards. The Act was later repealed in favor of more substantial laws.

Egyptomania

Sphinx (late 1800's)

The discovery of the pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx have fascinated citizens of the world for thousands of years. Since Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798, much of Europe had made it a priority to discover as much of the artifacts as possible. Little of the pyramids construction and origin remain a mystery. During the reign of Queen Victoria there were several archeological expeditions led in Egypt to further explore the ruins of the pyramids as well as the Sphinx. 

The Great Sphinx of Giza is a statue made of limestone, carved from the bedrock approximately 66ft tall by 240 ft long. It is thought to be designed and constructed by the Egyptians during the reign of pharaoh Khafre (circa 2558-2532 BC).

The Sphinx itself is a mythical creature originated by the ancient Greeks. The Sphinx had the head of a human, a falcon, cat or sheep and the body of a lion with the wings of an eagle. In Greek mythology the human head is often that of a woman, who was said to be cruel and would devour those who could not answer her riddles. The Sphinx in Egypt is shown as a man and often regarded as less evil than his Greek female counterpart but is still revered as a symbol of strength and power.

There’s a very good bet that H.G. Wells joined in the fascination over Egypt and its mystical culture. There is much to be said about Egyptian discoveries making headlines in England at the time. Archaeologist Andrew MacCallum published a letter documenting his discovery of a secret rock chamber in the Temple of Aboo Simbeil in March of 1874. The Time Machine was published in 1895.  

“Imagine what wonders lie there in the sand. From this humble desk I read the discoveries of men far greater than myself. Men who longed for adventure and sought to uncover the mysteries of the ancient world. It seems quite like the makings of something from an alien world. How could mortal men transport those stones and carve such delicate features into rock? What secrets are buried underneath? The papers tell of treasure, of gold, tombs filled with mummified remains. How queer. I’ve compiled enough notes in my journals. Gathered the necessary resources. No longer shall I sit in listless misery watching the wonders of the desert be uncovered by others. Martha knows my intention though she cannot understand why I must feel the sand beneath my very feet, develop callouses from digging with my own shovel. Perhaps I will be the next King of England with all of the glorious treasure I’m bound to find!”

 Works Cited

Wikipedia contributors. "Sphinx." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 28 Nov. 2020. Web. 29 Nov. 2020.

Wikipedia contributors. "Great Sphinx of Giza." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 29 Nov. 2020. Web. 29 Nov. 2020.

Kenna Hawes. “Oscar Wilde’s “The Sphinx” and Victorian Egyptomania.” Victorian Web. 11 Sept 2003. Web. 29 Nov. 2020

"Galerie Georges Petit" Opens

In 1881, the renowned art gallery, Galerie Georges Petit opened to the public at 12, Rue Godot de Mauroy in Paris, France. It was operated successfully by the famous French art dealer, Georges Petit, who inherited his father's art firm in 1877. Petit was known for his exhibition of Impressionistic works at extravagant gallery events, even attracting famous Impressionists of the time, such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, and Camille Pissarro. The Galerie Georges Petit would go on to later be relocated to 8, Rue de Seze-- directly in the heart of Paris. While Petit's gallery would go on to posthumously host the works of cultural icons of the art world such as Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, the Galerie Georges Petit still served as a "popular alternative exhibition space" to the official Salon de Paris in the late 19th century ("Georges Petit"). It is difficult to understate the cultural influence of the Impressionist artwork/artists displayed at some point in time at the Galerie Georges Petit. Even the famous "Rue de Seze" location of the gallery would be referenced by Oscar Wilde in Chapter Nine of The Picture of Dorian Gray, as the character Basil Hallward alludes to the fact that his work was to be exhibited at the very gallery of Georges Petit himself (Wilde). The fact that Paris is the art capital of the world is undeniable, and Wilde's inclusion of Hallward's work as being worthy of being displayed by Petit helps exemplify Basil's artistic talent.

As I stroll the moonlit streets of Picadilly, I have garnered much cognizance of my own querulous notions. Every evening as of late, I find myself passing the Royal Academy of Arts with a sordid disdain! I detest the gallery I once viewed with nothing but folly; I now see her so-called "masterpieces" are nothing but tawdry trinkets to be gawked at by the British bourgeois. I am carefully reticent of my censure, but I still must declare that I fear my most recent of abstruse revelations. I know my words henceforth shall be declared as incorrigible and covetous, but I fear that my numerous artistic endeavours thus far have transformed me into the most unbecoming of drudges. I ponder how an artist such as Basil Hallward could have rumoured prospects of an exhibition in the cultural heart of the Rue de Seze, nonetheless under the curation of Georges Petit himself! In the meantime, works such as mine are confined to London alone? What nonsense! I aspire to reach the level of servility attained by Hallward; for him to have attracted the likes of an influential figure such as Petit. I long for nothing more from that detestable Hallward; no affluential provisions could undo my corrupted reverie. To wish to attain Hallward's artistic ability would prove a hindrance to my own blossoming talents! I have no wish to mar the achievements of my rival-- only a sanguine desire to exceed them. I should like to meet his muse, Dorian Gray...   

Works Cited

"Georges Petit." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Sept. 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Petit. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020. 

"Royal Academy of Arts." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Oct. 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Academy_of_Arts. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Wilde, Oscar. "The Picture of Dorian Gray." COVE Studio, 2020, https://studio.covecollective.org/anthologies/frankenstein-or-the-modern.... Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

British Officials are murdered In Dublin (May 1882) Crime

Chief Secretary of Ireland, Lord Frederick Cavendish, and his under-secretary TH Burke were stabbed to death in Phoenix Park, Dublin. The murders outraged the public in Britain and, much against his will, provoked Prime Minister William Gladstone into maintaining harsh coercive policies in Ireland (BBC). In the Victorian Era, crime wasn't tolerated in any form or fashion. If one were to commit a crime they would be tried in court and were probably given a brutal sentence as punishment. However, because they were so keen on cracking down on crime, sometimes officers would report thefts as lost property to make the crime statistics smaller and make it seem as if there is little to no crime in their town (Emsley). In poorer sections of the communities, the police didn't bother to report offenses. Because most of the crimes at the time were a robbery or petty theft due to the high amount of people living in poverty, most felt this is why at the time the crimes weren't a big deal to the police. But, when the crimes turned more brutal and transitioned from petty theft to murders and stabbings, Parliament became concerned. The killing of these two government officials and the murders of Jack the Ripper in 1888 shocked everyone into fear. In the Victorian Era, violence was frowned upon and rarely occurred (Emsley), so when it did occur, people didn't know what to do other than catch the culprit and to give the victims justice. The significance of including this event on the timeline is the simple fact that at the time, violence was frowned upon and that violence is one of the key elements in this story. "The Picture of Dorian Gray," by Oscar Wilde was written before its time in which the commoners of the Victorian Era considered Wilde's work taboo because of the themes he highlights in the story.  

God holds the world in his palm, but I pray he gives England an extra morsel of his affections tonight. The cold streets will not be enough to warm those murderous, penniless souls that roam the streets for nourishment as the clouds blanket the moon above. Alas, not even Myrtle's cabbage soup will be enough to keep the peasants idle for temptation is a demon that sports pointy shoes and lilac pantyhose. If the night floosies are not enough to quench a fool's thirst I pray blood isn't his next predecessor. 

BBC."Victorian Britain." BBC History .

2014, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/victorianbritain_timeline_...

Emsley, Clive. "Crime and the Victorians" BBC. British History. Feb. 17,

    2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/crime_01.shtml

Wilde, Oscar.The Picture of Dorian Gray. Cove Studio.

   1890, https://studio.covecollective.org/anthologies/frankenstein-or-the-modern...

Age of Consent Established

The Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885

The 1885 Criminal Law Amendment Act called for the "Protection of Women and Girls, the suppression of brothels, and other purposes" (Wikipedia, 2020). This Act came into action to replace the prior Offences against the Person Act of 1861, which set the age of consent at just twelve years old. A public interest in increasing protection of children rose in 1885 in the wake of a newspaper exposé about the "White Slave Trade" of young girls, leading to the passage of the 1885 Criminal Law Amendment Act. This law highlighted an underlying conflict of the difference between child protection and a need to regulate the sexuality of juveniles. Many people in the Victorian Era believed that giving consent was a responsibility that girls could not hold until they reached a certain level of mental maturity that could only develop way after physical development was complete. It was thought that until a girl reached full physical and mental maturity, she must be protected not only from men but from herself and her own sexual feelings. The wording of the proclamation is quite important in that rather than bestowing the power of consent to girls above the age of sixteen, it simply took away the right of consent from girls under the age of sixteen. While it may seem that the main purpose of the Act is to protect, it really means to control. The 1885 Criminal Law Amendment Act has since been repealed, but was not done so until 1956 by the Sexual Offences Act. 

The current events in which I just witnessed have certainly left me in utter turmoil. I have just returned from the home of the Bretton's where a young girl had been accompanying them while her father lay ill. Who am I to pass judgment, but that little girl--Polly, I believe they called--Oh, the temperament of that young girl! So young, yet so endearing! My mind grew an attention to the way she responded to the young auburn boy, but oh, not as young! Graham is but sixteen years old, while she grows to only six! Her infatuation with this young man grows daily, as does my aching heart. Surely she is not of twelve years of age, so how could she possibly consent to her actions? I would hope that a respectable boy of his age would know this is not of appropriate dealings--his auburn locks hold that countenance of trust--but this girl knows of no such structure! How can Mrs. Bretton, and all other inhabitants of the property, allow this juvenile to express her feelings in such a way? My woes cry out to a young girl plagued by her own infractions, for she knows not that her sexuality is a dangerous one, and she must not express these feelings until she is of age where she can not abuse it. To imagine that Mrs. Bretton could possibly allow the grooming of this girl of six with this boy of sixteen--Oh! I cannot bear the thought. And with a goddaughter of twenty-three in inhabitance? Could she not alleviate us of the turmoil; could she not rob him of his attentions to the girl? The poor Polly, falling victim to a temptation that she should not hold! She must be contained, locked away and hidden, until the age of twelve when she can emerge as a fully-matured woman. I worry so for the safety of our children, and this worry will not dissipate until something is done of the matter. 

Works Cited

Bates, Victoria. "The Legacy of 1885: Girls and the Age of Sexual Consent." History and Policy, 8 September 2015,

http://www.historyandpolicy.org/policy-papers/papers/the-legacy-of-1885-girls-and-the-age-of-sexual-consent

Brontë, Charlotte. "Villette." COVE Studio, 2020, https://studio.covecollective.org/documents/villette-2 

"Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885." Wikipedia, Wikipedia Foundation, 13 August 2020, 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_Law_Amendment_Act_188

Jack the Ripper's Murders

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel set during the Victorian Era, more specifically towards the end of it (1886). Well, two years following this, a mysterious murderer, “Jack the Ripper,” killed at least five women. All of the women were prostitutes and were murdered in or near the Whitechapel District of London’s East End. This case is said to be “one of the most famous unsolved mysteries of English crime” (Jenkins). The first murder happened on August 31st, 1888 (Mary Ann Nichols) with the last murder happening on November 9th (Mary Jane Kelly). The other three prostitutes were Annie Chapman (September 8th), Elizabeth Stride (September 30th), and Catherine Eddows (September 30th). There are more murders occurring all the way until 1892 that can be potentially linked to Jack the Ripper. However, it has yet to be actually proven. Jack the Ripper killed these women with a specific trademark: slicing open their throat and mutilating their bodies. Due to this, it is thought that Jack the Ripper has “at least some knowledge on human anatomy” (Jenkins). Jack the Ripper has also been said to have sent the police half of a human kidney from one of his victim’s bodies and has even sent them letters claiming that he is the murderer. He was never arrested, and it caused a huge uproar within society, as murders were very rare back then in that time period. 

It’s ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. A murderer is on the loose and not a single person has done a darn thing about it! The police can’t track him. Oh, they try. They try but have no such luck. He calls himself Jack. Jack the Ripper. He writes letters to the police, expresses how he himself is the murderer, and they still fail to find the man! It’s absurd, really. Foolish on the police’s part! Absolutely foolish. I bet he’s laughing, at the police, at the rest of us. He must be. I would be if I were him. He could slaughter the whole town and the police still wouldn’t bat an eye. Anyone of us could be next. Sure, five of his victims had been prostitutes, all killed near the Whitechapel District. But who knows? Maybe he’ll have a change in course. Perhaps he’ll kill a man next. Or a child! Oh God, what if he kills a child? I couldn’t bear the thought of it. A little girl or boy with their throat slit, body mutilated. Gosh, it’s awful. Entirely horrendous. They really ought to capture him. They need to, as I don’t feel safe here any longer. I lock the doors, I stay in my room, hidden under the covers of my bed, and yet I still fear he will manage to break in and take me. It’s not a life. It’s not a life at all. And it won’t be until this man is caught.

Jenkins, John Philip. “Jack the Ripper.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/biography/Jack-the-Ripper. 

New Woman Movement

Frances Benjamin Johnston's Self-Portrait (as "New Woman"), 1896.

The New Woman social movement began in the United Kingdom in the late nineteenth century. This movement was created to represent the emergence of “radical women” in society. These “New Women” were known as feminist, educated, and career driven. They fought for women’s rights to dress as they want as well as do activities that were not traditionally feminine such as riding bikes or joining male dominated work forces. Before this movement came about, the widely held belief was that women were to be completely dependent on the men in their lives whether that was financially or legally. Women were expected to submit to both their husbands and fathers as opposed to developing their own opinions or jobs. People who were opposed to the idea of the “New Woman” claimed that the movement was a threat to motherhood as well as the status quo of patriarchal society. They said that the movement encouraged hatred of children and marriage because women would no longer be dependent on men. Despite all its opposition, the sexual and economic freedoms encouraged by the “New Woman” movement were too liberating to be forgotten and soon led to social change throughout the United Kingdom.

I have been reading that book The Time Machine and I dare say that it represents the world we would live in if society embraced these “New Woman” communists. Women are meant to serve their husbands. If that system is upset, who knows what society will look like! Every day it gets harder and harder to distinguish the difference between men and women walking along the streets. The women are wearing pants and riding bicycles! It would be so simple for them if they just embraced tradition and agreed to stay in the home. It is an easy life they lead, and I do not understand why they would want to change that. If these women succeed in their fight to abolish gender norms, family as we know it would cease to exist. We would become creatures like the Eloi, soft and never exposed to the hardships of everyday life. Society would truly become stagnant and frail. The human race may be eliminated entirely because the women would no longer wish to reproduce. My wife would be perceived no differently than the common whore! H. G. Wells does a wonderful job of exemplifying the effects of this communist lifestyle and how devastating it would be to our world.

“New Woman.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Oct. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Woman.

Buzwell, Greg. “Daughters of Decadence: the New Woman in the Victorian Fin De Siècle.” The British Library, The British Library, 17 Apr. 2014, www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/daughters-of-decadence-the-n....