The working class woman quoted by Henry Mayhew describes how she was virtuous at the beginning of her career but she was ‘obligated to go a bad way’. She had virtue but when she had sex outside marriage she admits that she was no longer virtuous. The woman states that she found it hard to remain ‘chaste’ yet ‘took to live with a young man’. Mayhew, H. (1849) Prostitution among Needlewomen. Among the needlewomen, virtue is thought of as remaining celibate before marriage, even though she was not working as a prostitute, yet living with a man, it was regarded as lacking in virtue by them.
Many needlewomen felt pressured into this extra immoral work because they were unable to pay their rent or buy food and clothes. To be able to be self reliant, reliant on one’s own resources rather than those of others, they had to find another source of income and hence began a second profession working as prostitutes to afford the means to live. The needlewomen whom had already chosen to become prostitutes were seen to ‘get plenty to eat and drink, and good clothes’, thus, it was seen as a mandatory employment for their self reliance. Mayhew, H. (1849) Prostitution among Needlewomen.
So many girls work as prostitutes that the young woman is ‘satisfied there is not one girl that works at slop-work (needle-work) that is virtuous’ Mayhew, H. (1849) Prostitution among Needlewomen. Even the girls who work on the higher paid garments find it difficult to earn sufficient money. The young woman tried to stay virtuous and ‘remained so till this last twelvemonth’ but found it impossible to live. Mayhew, H. (1849) Prostitution among Needlewomen. The needlewomen are only self reliant because of their extra work.
The women, however, describe themselves as lacking in virtue because of the activities that they indulge themselves in. The young woman concerned, is not a prostitute but still has not kept herself chaste in view of the fact that she lived with a man. Self reliance is present in all the needlewomen who find the extra depraved work yet admit that they are without virtue.
In contrast self reliance can be seen in an example from Samuel Smiles text. A family were trapped in the centre arch of the broken bridge of Verona. The young peasant who went to their aide refused the money offered by Count Spolverini and insisted it should be given to the unfortunate family. The young man was obviously in need but his high morals refused it. This virtuous behaviour could be deemed to be self reliant not being put in a position to rely on others’ money. Likewise a gentleman will not be bribed under any circumstances regardless of his financial status. Jonas Hanway ‘declined to receive a present of any kind’ whilst serving as a commissioner in the victualling department. Smiles, S. (1859) The True Gentleman. Smiles explains how the Duke of Wellington also refused a large sum of money, in return for information and so returned to England a relatively poor man. Again the examples show the morals present in a gentleman that urges him to remain self reliant. Evidently, Smiles view, self reliance and virtue have a strong connection whilst contained within the body and mind of a gentleman.
The gentleman’s virtue can be described as ‘honest, truthful, upright, polite, temperate, courageous, self-respecting and self-helping’. Smiles, S. (1859) The True Gentleman. Self helping, another form of self reliance, is referred to along with a collection of other qualities within a virtuous man. Humanity, another virtue, was shown to the Canadian squaw carrying her husband’s pack, showing the respect the gentleman has is equal to the respect of others, he carried the pack for her. Smiles has indicated that a gentleman may be from any social class with many qualities within the virtuous, high morality behaviour needed. Indeed if a poor man ‘retains his courage, cheerfulness, hope, virtue and self-respect,’ he ‘is still rich.’ Smiles, S. (1859) The True Gentleman. It is ambiguous whether virtue could be defined as self reliance however a poorer man would need to rely on his own resources and ingenuity to survive.
The needlewomen are described by themselves to be not virtuous as they define virtue as chaste due to the extra work they are forced to undertake to be able to survive, however, the women are self reliant. Yet this self reliance appears to cause their lack of virtue. The gentlemen are self reliant and virtuous but their virtuous behaviour also encompasses many other qualities. Self reliance may be included in the virtue sought by mid Victorian Britain together with self respect, honesty, politeness and many other fine qualities.
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References
Smiles, S. (1859) from The True Gentleman in A172 Anthology [online], Open University, available from <> [Accessed 20 April 2007]
Mayhew, H. (1849) from Prostitution among Needlewomen in A172 Anthology [online], Open University, available from <> [Accessed 20 April 2007]
Dr Donna Loftus, (2001). The Rise of the Victorian Middle Class [online]. Available from: <> [Accessed 20 April 2007]
