Journal Entry: Kitty Warren
November 8, 1889
Let me lay it out—how I run my little business, these brothels. It's a hustle, no denying that. But my approach has always been straightforward. I set things up to give the women working for me a bit of control over their lives. They decide when to take clients, and there's no forcing anyone into anything. It's about survival, making a living when life has dealt you a lousy hand. Sure, people like to judge, but they don't see the harsh reality of real life. These women aren't victims; they're survivors in a society that often leaves them with no options. I provide a safe space for them to navigate this tough reality. Yes, I take a cut, but I would say it's just a trade-off for the support they get from me. It weighs on me, knowing the struggles these women face and how society looks down on them, and I know this because I went through it myself. I'm unable to change the whole world, but I do what I can to make things a bit better for those around my corner. In the end, it's about creating a space where these women have some agency, some say in their lives, in a world that often tries to strip them of both. The judgments from the outside world may be harsh, but in my corner, it's about offering a piece of control and support in the face of tough circumstances.
Editoral Commentary
In Victorian times, brothels were hidden worlds full of complications. The women there were not after excitement but more rather trying to get by financially in a society that didn't give them many choices. Yet, just surviving in this time meant dealing with constant judgment everywhere, even if they tried to break free. The owners running these places, like Mrs. Kitty Warren, had their own battles themselves. They were providing a lifeline for women society pushed away, yet society turned around and pointed fingers at those providing it as well. The Victorian morals of this age didn't help, and instead of dealing with the real problems, they just added more judgment. (Walkowitz 40) Understanding what was happening in those brothels means seeing past the moral haze and recognizing the tough choices and survival strategies these women and their bosses had to navigate. The real story is more complicated than the Victorian era wanted to admit.In truth, those working in Victorian era brothels were caught in a web of societal judgments, trying to survive in an environment that condemned them. (Norton 11) The possessors, like Mrs. Kitty Warren, balanced on a tricky line: providing support to the criticized while breaking down society's disapproval. Grasping this hidden world means looking beyond Victorian morals, acknowledging the toughness, and uncovering the distinct stories hidden by the judgments of the time.
Works Cited
Walkowitz, Judith R. City of Dreadful Delight: Narratives of Sexual Danger in Late-Victorian London.University of Chicago Press, 1992.
Norton, Ingrid. "The 'Second Oldest Profession' in the 'First Profession': Brothel-keeping and the State in France, 1815–1870." French Historical Studies, vol. 17, no. 1, 1991, pp. 77-94. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/286604.