Fallen woman
Meaning
A "fallen woman" was a 19th-century term for a woman who had lost her social standing and moral purity, often due to premarital sex or prostitution.
Origin
The term "fallen woman" vividly captures the rigid morality of Victorian society, particularly in Britain, where a woman's honor and social standing were inextricably linked to her sexual purity and marital status. A single deviation from this prescribed path—whether through premarital pregnancy, adultery, or prostitution—was seen as a literal 'fall' from grace, a descent into moral degradation that often led to social ostracism and economic ruin. This label was a powerful tool of social control, used to shame and marginalize women who transgressed the era's strict gendered expectations, effectively stripping them of their identity and condemning them to a life on the fringes.
Examples
- In many Victorian novels, the tragic figure of the fallen woman serves as a stark warning against societal transgression.
- She was cast out by her family, condemned to live as a fallen woman in an era that offered few paths to redemption.