Seduced and abandoned: fallen women in the Victorian novel
In short
Victorian novelists often told the story of the 'fallen woman', seduced and abandoned, to test their readers' sympathy. George Eliot's Adam Bede (1859) follows Hetty Sorrel's ruin after an affair with the squire's heir. Thomas Hardy returned to the theme in Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) and, most boldly, in Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891).
What the full article will cover
- What was the 'fallen woman' plot?
- How does George Eliot treat Hetty Sorrel in Adam Bede?
- How does Hardy portray Fanny Robin and Tess?
- Did novelists punish or defend their heroines?
- How did the theme change by the 1890s?
Frequently asked questions
- What happens to Hetty Sorrel in Adam Bede?
- Who is Fanny Robin?
- Was George Eliot herself living outside marriage?
- Which Victorian novels were considered scandalous?
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Bede
- gutenberg.org — https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/507
- britannica.com — https://www.britannica.com/topic/Far-from-the-Madding-Crowd-novel-by-Hardy
- britannica.com — https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tess-of-the-dUrbervilles
General information, not legal or religious advice.