Women of Pleasure: Prostitution in Eighteenth-Century London

Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 2,0, Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald, language: English, abstract: On the threshold of industrialisation many significant changes took place in England throughout the eighteenth century. Trade and economy grew more and more and consequently trade centres like London became metropolises to which many people moved to from rural areas due to the bigger chance to find a job there. The society in such cities was dominated by men and there was no equality of the sexes as women were considered to be inferior and dependent on men. They had to obey their fathers or husbands, who made all decisions for them and they had no own property as everything they had belonged to their husbands1. But there were women who tried to escape the subordinate role they possessed. Expected to be virtuous housewives, mothers and wives, who obey their husbands unconditionally, some women led totally different lives. Instead of marrying, bringing up children and doing the household they worked to earn their living. But whereas many women chose to work as servants or seamstresses, the business of some other young ladies was of a totally different nature - of a disorderly nature. They earned their money by offering sexual services in exchange for money. In other words they worked as prostitutes. Especially London was a city where this sexual trade was very widespread due to the constantly arriving tradesmen and sailors who were willing to pay women to satisfy their needs. But who were these women of pleasure? Why did they work as prostitutes and how did they live? To answer these questions it is necessary to look at the lives of these women in detail. Their social backgrounds and their education can be considered as the origin of their later work as harlots. As people cannot only be characterised by what they do themselves but by the opinions of the people around them as well, it is important to consider the reactions of society towards prostitutes. And last but not least the living and working conditions of streetwalkers as well as the risks they had to face in their everyday lives are worth consideration. [...]