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English, Theatre and Creative Writing Taster: The Fallen Woman in Victorian Literature and Art

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Venue: Online

Please note, bookings for this event have now closed

This taster session will introduce you to a range of Victorian paintings and novels that took the figure of the 'fallen woman' as their subject. The term 'fallen' was applied to women who had sexual relations outside marriage. Many of these women found themselves in desperate situations, often bearing the burden of an illegitimate child. I will talk about how the figure of the fallen woman was mythologized in Victorian literature and art, and look at some of the petitions completed by unmarried mothers who applied to have their babies taken in by London's Foundling Hospital. The session will also discuss how you can follow-up your nineteenth-century interests through the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at Birkbeck, including the MA Victorian Studies.

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