COVE

The Magdalen’s Commentary:

My necklace! Oh, what a splendid little charm it is; in fact, it may be the most—maybe the only—charming thing I left the reformation home with. My dignity, my pride and my diligence had succumbed to the pressure of reforming from prostitution—“The Great Social Evil” as the pastor referred to it. In talking with the pastor at the reformation home, I realize just how deep and dark a sin I had committed; his description of the depths of Hell that awaited me left me quaking in fear. I knew something had to be done. Now, I am preparing to fulfill a new destiny: restoring God’s faith in me. The pastor told me that God lost faith in me after my decision to become a prostitute, so that is the point in my life where I will begin to pray for forgiveness. The sight of my necklace recalls memories of life before I entered the reformation home, even before I entered into prostitution. I had always worked to serve God, yet I failed so miserably. Now, according to the pastor, I must begin my journey to forgiveness by serving God every day of my life. Navigating the path from Hell to Heaven will be difficult, but this necklace will always encourage me to distance myself from a life of sin and embrace a life of sainthood and Christianity. I will always trust my heart and continue to distance myself from a life of sin.

Editorial Commentary:

Prior to this entry, I believed that this Magdalen’s perception of her reformation house was caused by extreme manipulation, and that she may never understand the true horrors of what occurred within. This entry further proved my speculation, as it opens up an entirely new aspect to the story of the Magdalen. It seems through her words that she believes she must do everything the pastor tells her to. She speaks as if she would be lost without the advice of the pastor. In the Victorian Era, it is understandable for someone to feel lost without mutual faith in a higher being, it is just unfortunate to see the Magdalen’s vulnerability exploited by the pastor. The Magdalen also reveals that she has embarked on a journey to “restore God’s faith in her.” This embarkation is likely the result of the pastor’s manipulative efforts while the Magdalen was staying in the reformation home. In the late 19^th and early 20^th Centuries, pastors were sent to reformation homes with a specific goal to convince former prostitutes that their ways were sinful and disgusting and that in order to enjoy life after death, they must change their ways and do as the pastor says. In most cases, the pastors’ efforts either had no effect or had an extreme effect, and slaves to the aforementioned “Great Social Evil” would become slaves of a higher being (Fraser). Based on the context of this journal, that is exactly what happened to the Magdalen.

Citations:

Fraser, J. (n.d.). Prostitution and the Nineteenth Century: In Search of the 'Great Social Evil'. Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/iatl/reinvention/archive/volume1issue1/joyce