Quotation: “The plan may be a very good one, to prevent the prostitute being waylaid as she left the hospital by some of her old associates, but it did not seem to occur to the would-be benefactors of the girl that the arrival of a parishioner in charge of a policeman creates a great sensation in a little country community. They did not seem to have contemplated the possibility of the fact that the villagers become curious to learn what Mary Smith has been doing at —; I ventured to suggest to the authorities that the village gossips would probably over their tea hint at her gay doings, and that the young men would not long be idle in ferreting out her antecedents; and the quiet village, notwithstanding all the care of the rector or aid of his good wife, would be made very disagreeable for the fair penitent who had once quitted her home on an evil errand, and it too often happens she will quit it again, no more to return to her native place.”

Comment: This quotation highlights the views of Victorian society, especially through the lens of mostly middle and lower classes. As seen in Ruth, gossip plays a key role in how Ruth and Leonard are treated within society, despite Ruth’s best efforts to keep her past hidden. Within his piece, Acton discusses the benefits and disadvantages of the Contagious Diseases Act and the asylum-based treatment offered to fallen women. While Acton acknowledges the benefits of providing protection to returning women, he highlights one of the most prominent problems of the system. Acton and Gaskell both seem to hold the opinion that gossip and societal views shape the success of “redeeming a fallen woman”.While a fallen woman could make the choice to “return” to society, the pieces written by Acton and Gaskell show that society itself may not let them. 

Question: Regarding the Contagious Diseases Act, did works and critiques like Acton’s cause any backlash against it? Was there a push for reforming the CDA? From a modern standpoint, it’s painfully obvious that the regulations outlined in the CDA have little to no regard for women’s bodily autonomy, but I don’t think that many people within Victorian society would necessarily call for reform over that aspect alone.