The Victim of Prejudice
1799 novel by Mary Hays / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Victim of Prejudice was published in 1799 and is the second novel written by author Mary Hays. The novel’s main character is Mary Raymond and follows her throughout her life to show the trials and tribulations that she is forced to face because of her “rank” in society. Not only because she is the illegitimate child of a prostitute and murderer, but also because she is a woman. She is taken in and kept safe by Mr. Raymond on his estate, but that could only last for so long. As she ventures from the Edenic safety of the estate and as she grows older, Mary seems to be haunted by Sir Peter Osborne who continuously appears in her life at her most vulnerable moments. Osborne eventually rapes Mary, but regardless of his violation, Mary maintains that her “virtue” is in her mind and not her body. Whatever she believed personally, she ultimately comes to see how the social structures and laws that surrounded her dictated her “virtue” and her fate from the moment she was born.[1]
Author | Mary Hays |
---|---|
Language | English |
Genre | Novel |
Publication date | 1799 |
Publication place | United Kingdom |
OCLC | 41278546 |
823/.7 21 | |
LC Class | PR4769.H6 V5 |
Preceded by | Memoirs of Emma Courtney |
The Victim of Prejudice grapples with an assortment of social and political issues that women faced in England in the 18th century and was extremely controversial because it vividly showed the reality for many women who could not find a traditional place in society. The controversy wasn’t just for depicting reality, but also because of the focus the novel puts on the role that man-made laws played in creating these political and social issues for women at the time.[1] After Mary is ‘brutally violated’, she has no recourse, legal or otherwise and Osborne is free to carry on existing without any consequences. She can’t even make him pay in the court of public opinion because his status as a male landowner and society's prejudice against women will lead to them taking his side in a ‘he said she said’ situation. The novel is meant to be a reflection of a stark reality in the hopes of promoting change. While many of the legal frameworks around sexual violence have changed in the last 200+ years, many of the prejudices, both legal and social, remain; That might be why Hays’ writing is still seen as relevant to feminist discourse today.[1] Mary Hays’ thinking was incredibly ahead of her time and she was an early outspoken proponent for feminist ideals, such as recognizing the moral and rational qualities of women, creating jobs for women without money, and a better education system for women and girls.