George Bernard Shaw presents two strong and interesting women in
Kitty and Vivie, the mother and daughter at the centre of Mrs.
Warren's Profession. They are characters inspired by some
of the brave and passionate women who were fighting for equality,
freedom and dignity for women in the late 19th century. Here are
four of the women who would have touched Shaw's life and sparked
his creativity...
Who: Philippa Fawcett
Why: She finished first in the highly competitive
Mathematical Tripos exam at Cambridge in 1890 by an extraordinary
margin of 13 per cent but was denied the official recognition of
the top ranking (as women were listed separately at that time),
causing international outrage.
Interesting: Her aunt was the first English female
doctor, and her mother was a prominent suffragist and feminist who
co-founded Newnham Hall, which was the second Cambridge college to
admit women.
Who: Sarah Grand
Why: She was a feminist and activist who, after
marrying at 16 and finally, after 20 years, managing to divorce her
husband, became a novelist and later a politician. Grand, who was
born Frances Clarke but changed her name when she turned to
literature, was a passionate advocate of the New Woman, the late
19th century feminist ideal, and a vocal critic of the institution
of marriage..
Interesting: The New York Public Library holds
Mark Twain's copy of Grand's novel The Heavenly Twins,
which contains many handwritten notes of criticism in the
margins.
Who: Josephine Butler
Why: After losing one of her four children, she
dealt with her grief by giving assistance in a workhouse, which
brought her into contact with prostitutes and made her aware of the
crushing double standard under which they were living. With the
full support of her husband George, a liberal reformer, she led the
fight from 1863 to repeal the Contagious Diseases Act, which
subjected women suspected of carrying STDs to humiliating physical
checks and forced hospitalisation. The act was repealed in 1886,
and Butler then devoted herself to other causes including child
prostitution.
Interesting: Butler was a devoted Christian and is
remembered in windows of churches in Liverpool and London.
Who: Emmeline Pankhurst
Why: She was a highly controversial suffragist and
co-founder in 1903 of the Women's Social and Political Union, which
she ran with her daughter Christabel. Pankhurst was influential in
securing the right for women to vote in Britain and is largely
remembered as a feminist icon, despite her support for and use of
questionable methods including arson, hunger strikes and physical
violence.
Interesting: She was first imprisoned in 1908 and
was repeatedly incarcerated and released (on heath grounds due to
the hunger strikes) until 1914 when she and called off the suffrage
campaign so that they could focus on supporting the war.
Mrs.
Warren's Profession, Wharf 1 Theatre, 14 February - 6 April and
4-20 July, 2013.
Feature: Fabulous women
Date posted: 21 Jan 2013Author: STC