"the 'fallen woman' a label that encompassed any form of female sexual experience deemed improper or immoral...any woman who displayed rebellious passions could be labeled 'fallen'.(Arnold, LXVII).
Victorian-age women were supposed to be idealistic and perfect. She was to be chaste, moral, modest, pure, delicate, and refined. They were expected to only have sex with their husbands and none other. Should she enter into any kind of sexual relationship with another man, she was cast out of society and marked as fallen or disgraced. A woman's role was that of a beautiful possession in the home. Whatever her true personality and identity, she was to subdue and avoid, in order to follow the social and familial traditions and expectations. In the eyes of society, she was a pretty face. Once within the walls of her home, she could voice a small portion of her identity, but only in the company of other women could she really be known.
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