Social Reform Themes · English Literature

The 'Fallen Woman' motif in Victorian novels like Gaskell’s 'Ruth' was used to reform social attitudes by:

By demanding far stricter public punishments for all acts of immorality
By actively promoting the exile of such women to the Australian colonies
By encouraging sympathy and social reintegration rather than ostracization
By arguing that women who had strayed were by nature criminally inclined

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Correct answer: By encouraging sympathy and social reintegration rather than ostracization

Gaskell's 'Ruth' was controversial because it depicted a 'fallen' woman as fundamentally virtuous. The novel challenged the rigid Victorian morality that offered no path to redemption for women who had strayed from social norms.

Difficulty: Medium Question 18 of 20

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The 'Fallen Woman' motif in Victorian novels like Gaskell’s 'Ruth' was used to reform social attitudes by:

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