Fanny Hill

“No sooner then was this precious substitute of my mistress’ laid down, but she, who was never out of her way when any occasion of lewdness presented itself, turned to me, embraced and kiss’d me with great eagerness. This was new, this was odd; but imputing it to nothing but pure kindness, which, for aught I knew, it might be the London way to express in that manner, I was determin’d not to be behind hand with her, and returned her the kiss and embrace, with all the fervour that perfect innocence knew.”

Fanny’s reaction to Phoebe’s advances mirrors what would be expected of such a young person encountering sexuality where they are not prepared for it. Her innocence, in the sexual sense, is revealed in her decision to return the caresses and kisses, thinking that Phoebe may just be following some London social code that Fanny is not aware of. This experience marks Fanny’s first sexual encounter in the novel, setting up an early dynamic in which Fanny follows the sexual leads of those around her.

“Such too, and so cruel was my fate, that I dreaded the sight of Mrs. Brown, as if I had been the criminal and she the person injur’d; a mistake which you will not think so strange, on distinguishing that neither virtue nor principles had the least share in the defence I had made, but only the particular aversion I had conceiv’d against the first brutal and frightful invader of my tender innocence.”

This passage conveys the duality of morality in the novel. Conventional morality would see Mrs. Brown as a criminal for selling Fanny’s virginity to Mr. Crofts, but under the sexual morality of the world of sex work, Fanny had an obligation to please Mr. Crofts, which makes her a criminal for protecting her “tender innocence.” Fanny understands, in the present tense, that Mr. Crofts was a “brutal and frightful invader,” contrasting with her prior sexual experience with Phoebe and her upcoming experience with Charles. Fanny notes to the recipient of the letter that, with proper framing, Fanny’s experiences are not so strange as they might seem to someone outside of the profession Fanny is entering.

“Conversation, example, all, in short, contributed, in that house, to corrupt my native purity, which had taken no root in education; whilst not the inflammable principal of pleasure, so easily fired at my age, made strange work within me, and all the modesty I was brought up in the habit, not the instruction of, began to melt away like dew before the sun’s heat; not to mention that I made a vice of necessity, from the constant fears I had of being turn’d out to starve.”

The atmosphere in the brothel is constructed to entice patrons and assuage feelings of shame or fear among the women of the house. Fanny notes at other times how the other girls constantly praise Mrs. Brown, talk openly about sex, and watch each other performing sex acts. Following the social and sexual moralities of the novel, Fanny explains how, though necessity plays a role in her decisions, she is also drawn by the appeal of sexuality, which is more powerful than mere social indoctrination. As with many 18th-century works, though, the comment regarding instruction in modesty is likely a hint to readers that proper education in youth can prevent such desires.

“My conqueror, who, as he afterwards told me, had been struck with my appearance, and lik’d me as much as he could think of liking any one in my suppos’d way of life, ask’d me briskly at once if I would be kept by him, and that he would take a lodging for me directly, and relieve me from any engagements he presum’d I might be under to the house. Rash, sudden, undigested, and even dangerous as this offer might be from a perfect stranger, and that stranger a giddy boy, the prodigious love I was struck with for him had put a charm into his voice there was no resisting, and blinded me to every objection; I could, at that instant, have died for him: think if I could resist an invitation to live with him.”

The imbalance between Charles and Fanny becomes clear in this passage, as Charles likes Fanny “as much as he could think of liking any one in my suppos’d way of life,” meaning sex work, which makes it clear that Charles does not see Fanny as a woman that he could marry or have a relationship with, but as an object that he can own. Fanny, on the other hand, is legitimately infatuated with Charles, which foreshadows the issues she faces later in their relationship.

“The present was as much as all my powers of life were sufficient to bear the transport of, without fainting. Nor were the most tender embraces, the most soothing expressions wanting on his side, to assure me of his love, and of never giving me cause to repent the bold step I had taken in throwing myself thus entirely upon his honour and generosity. But, alas! this was no merit in me, for I was drove to it by a passion too impetuous for me to resist, and I did what I did because I could not help it.”

The issue of consent, which is only addressed tertiarily in the novel, comes up in Fanny’s explanation of losing her virginity to Charles. Unlike with Mr. Crofts, where the thought of having sex is “brutal” and frightening, actually having sex with Charles, though painful, is pleasurable because Fanny consents to it. Fanny’s explanation that she “did what [she] did because [she] could not help it” highlights that she does not think her actions were virtuous by society’s standards, but she is following her natural desire, which is in line with the sexual morality of the novel.

“But Charles, to whom I was now infinitely endear’d by this complete triumph over a maidenhead, where he so little expected to find one, in tenderness to that pain which he had put me to, in procuring himself the height of pleasure, smother’d his exultation, and employ’d himself with so much sweetness, so much warmth, to sooth, to caress, and comfort me in my soft complainings, which breath’d, indeed, more love than resentment, that I presently drown’d all sense of pain in the pleasure of seeing him, of thinking that I belong’d to him: he who was now the absolute disposer of my happiness, and, in one word, my fate.”

Though Fanny phrases her adoration in this passage as the result of losing her virginity to Charles, the passage shows that she is swayed more by how Charles takes her virginity than by the mere fact of the sex act. Charles is considerate of Fanny, listening to her complaints and adjusting, which shows legitimate compassion and interest in Fanny’s well-being. Although the power dynamic between the two favors Charles, this passage frames him as kind, rather than abusive, and Fanny’s acknowledgment of the control Charles has over both her emotions and her physical well-being is seen as a positive, with Fanny trusting Charles to take care of her.

“She told me, very coolly, that ‘she was indeed sorry for my misfortunes, but that she must do herself justice, though it would go to the very heart of her to send such a tender young creature to prison…’ At the word ‘prison!’ every drop of my blood chill’d, and my fright acted so strongly upon me, that, turning as pale and faint as a criminal at the first sigh to his place of execution, I was on the point of swooning. My landlady, who wanted only to terrify me to a certain point, and not to throw me into a state of body inconsistent with her designs upon it, began to soothe me again, and told me, in a tone compos’d to more pity and gentleness, that it would be my own fault, if she was forc’d to proceed to such extremities; but she believ’d there was a friend to be found in the world who would make up matters to both our satisfactions, and that she would bring him to drink tea with us that very afternoon, when she hoped we would come to a right understanding in our affairs.”

Mrs. Jones shows, like Mrs. Brown before her, that there is no sense of solidarity among the women presented so far in the novel. Instead, each woman is in a position to care only for themselves, knowing how society is operating against them. Even though Mrs. Jones, here, seems like a villain, she once was in a similar position to Fanny. Of critical importance is Fanny’s retrospective acknowledgment of how Mrs. Jones perceives Fanny’s body, noting “her designs upon it,” which are for Fanny to have sex with Mr. H, which reframes the discussion into one in which Fanny is a product that Mrs. Jones intends to sell.

“As soon as he was gone, I felt the usual consequences of the first launch into vice (for my love-attachment to Charles never appear’d to me in that light). I was instantly borne away down the stream, without making back to the shore. My dreadful necessities, my gratitude, and above all, to say the plain truth, the dissipation and diversion I began to find, in this new acquaintance, from the black corroding thoughts my heart had been a prey to ever since the absence of my dear Charles, concurr’d to stun all contrary reflections.”

This passage highlights the difference between the sexual experiences Fanny had with Charles and those she has with Mr. H, in which satisfying Mr. H sexually is an obligation Fanny needs to fulfill to sustain herself, whereas satisfying Charles is inherently pleasurable due to her love for him. The dissipation and diversion Fanny notes refer to the idea of becoming “jaded” or numb to the moral qualms she might have with sex work, since, over time, her sexual obligations to Mr. H become normative and expected. The “contrary reflections” that Fanny avoids are those that would make her feel shame or disappointment, which, in her present situation, would only serve to upset her, rather than provide any realistic alternatives. This passage marks a definitive transition away from innocence and into Fanny’s adulthood as a sex worker.

“Had I lov’d this man, it was not in nature for me to have had patience to see the whole scene through: I should have broke in and play’d the jealous princess with a vengeance. But that was not the case, my pride alone was hurt, my heart not, and I could easier win upon myself to see how far he would go, till I had no uncertainty upon my conscience.”

The use of the word “princess” in this passage highlights how social concerns are only relevant to those in the appropriate social standing. For Fanny, as a mistress, there is no sense in feeling jealous about Mr. H sleeping with the maid since Fanny does not have any social claims on Mr. H’s fidelity. Instead, Fanny’s pride is hurt, as Mr. H’s actions imply that Fanny is an insufficient mistress. She watches the encounter until she feels that she does not have any further obligation to Mr. H, which then allows her to feel comfortable with seducing Will.

“Oh! But, say you, this was a young fellow of too low a rank of life to deserve so great a display. May be so: but was my condition, strictly consider’d one jot more exalted? Or, had I really been much above him, did not his capacity of giving such exquisite pleasure sufficiently raise and ennoble him, to me, at least? Let who would, for me, cherish, respect, and reward the painter’s, the statuary’s, the musician’s arts, in proportion to delight taken in them: but at my age, and with my taste for pleasure, a taste strongly constitutional to me, the talent of pleasing, with which nature had endowed a handsome person, form’d to me the greatest of all merits; compared to which, the vulgar prejudices in favour of titles, dignities, honours, and the like, held a very low rank indeed.”

Again playing with the idea of two separate moralities in the novel, Fanny declares that Will, as an attractive and competent sexual partner, is at least as valuable as a man like Mr. H, who relies on his wealth and title to gain favor in the social realm. Much like artists are rewarded for their ability to bring feeling and passion to their work, Fanny praises Will for his ability to bring her pleasure, which Mr. H, despite his social standing, cannot do. In the realm of sexual morality, pleasure is the only focus, and it is important to note how Fanny is quickly becoming powerful in this realm, even as she remains stationary in terms of social standing.

“Madam, I owe shame to myself, and confess you have fairly turn’d the tables upon me. It is not with one of your cast of breeding and sentiments that I should enter into a discussion of the very great difference of the provocations: be it sufficient that I allow you so much reason on your side, as to have changed my resolutions, in consideration of what you reproach me with; and I own, too, that your clearing that rascal there, is fair and honest in you. Renew with you I cannot: the affront is too gross. I give you a week’s warning to go out of these lodgings; whatever I have given you, remains to you; and as I never intend to see you more, the landlord will pay you fifty pieces on my account, with which, and every debt paid, I hope you will own I do not leave you in a worse condition than what I took you up in, or than you deserve of me. Blame yourself only that it is no better.”

Mr. H acknowledges the duality of the morals involved in keeping a mistress as he accepts the logic behind Fanny’s seeming infidelity. He still holds to the hypocrisy of rejecting Fanny for her affair with Will, but rather than leave her penniless, he allows her to keep the gifts and payments he has given her so far in their relationship. The final line of this passage implies that had Fanny remained a faithful and subordinate mistress, she would have earned more wealth, even if she could never have gained a monogamous relationship.

“The sameness of our sex, age, profession, and views soon created as unreserv'd a freedom and intimacy as if we had been for years acquainted. They took and shew'd me the house, their respective apartments, which were furnished with every article of conveniency and luxury; and above all, a spacious drawing-room, where a select revelling band usually met, in general parties of pleasure; the girls supping with their sparks, and acting their wanton pranks with unbounded licentiousness; whilst a defiance of awe, modesty or jealousy were their standing rules, by which, according to the principles of their society, whatever pleasure was lost on the side of sentiment was abundantly made up to the senses in the poignancy of variety, and the charms of ease and luxury. The authors and supporters of this secret institution would, in the height of their humours style themselves the restorers of the golden age and its simplicity of pleasures, before their innocence became so injustly branded with the names of guilt and shame.”

As Fanny enters Mrs. Cole’s home, she forms close relationships with the other women in the home, creating a sense of feminine solidarity. This solidarity is then used as a defense against the social perception of sex work. The “golden age” refers to the classical myth of a pre-fallen age, in which people lived in harmony with each other and nature; the men who patronize Fanny and her friends play on the idea to argue that sexual stigma is the result of the degradation of the world, and that in the original state of nature pleasure was the measure of morality. In fighting against both modesty and jealousy, the women are working to cultivate a safe and kind environment where they can both express themselves and perform their work unhindered by attacks.

“By this time I was so affected by this inward involution of sentiments, so soften'd by this sight, that now, betrayed into a sudden transition from extreme fears to extreme desires, I found these last so strong upon me, the heat of the weather too perhaps conspiring to exalt their rage, that nature almost fainted under them. Not that I so much as knew precisely what was wanting to me: my only thought was that so sweet a creature as this youth seemed to me could only make me happy; but then, the little likelihood there was of compassing an acquaintance with him, or perhaps of ever seeing him again, dash'd my desires, and turn'd them into torments.”

As Harriet watches the man swimming, she experiences both the fear of his possible violence and the attraction of arousal. However, the social expectation that sex should be paired with marriage interferes with her desires, as she realizes how unlikely it would be to meet this man again. This passage serves as a microcosm of the 18th-century experiences of young women, in which they must suppress sexual desire to avoid possibly unfavorable outcomes, such as Harriet’s need to go into sex work after her affair with this man ended.

“They assur'd me that I was so perfectly to their taste as to have but one fault against me, which I might easily be cur'd of, and that was my modesty: this, they observ'd, might pass for a beauty the more with those who wanted it for a heightener; but their maxim was, that it was an impertinent mixture, and dash'd the cup so as to spoil the sincere draught of pleasure; they consider'd it accordingly as their mortal enemy, and gave it no quarter wherever they met with it. This was a prologue not unworthy of the revels that ensu'd.”

The rejection of modesty by the group is a crucial element in understanding the hypocrisy of 18th-century society, in which men could take a stance against modesty, while women could only shed their modesty at the expense of social standing. Some of the men are noblemen, and their positions are not threatened by their sexual escapades, whereas the women are confined to the brothel, having lost their reputations due to the immodesty of men.

“As soon as he had disengag'd, the charming Emily got up, and we crowded round her with congratulations and other officious little services; for it is to be noted, that though all modesty and reserve were banished from the transaction of these pleasures, good manners and politeness were inviolably observ'd: here was no gross ribaldry, no offensive or rude behaviour, or ungenerous reproaches to the girls for their compliance with the humours and desires of the men. On the contrary, nothing was wanting to soothe, encourage, and soften the sense of their condition to them. Men know not in general how much they destroy of their own pleasure, when they break through the respect and tenderness due to our sex, and even to those of it who live only by pleasing them.”

After Emily and her man have sex, the group gathers to praise them for their performance, celebrating their sexuality without vulgarity. Fanny notes that such polite and respectful comfort is needed to maintain an overall atmosphere of safety and freedom, which is then beneficial to the expression of sexuality. When men become vulgar, Fanny is saying, women are forced to suppress themselves, leading to less pleasurable sex. Through Fanny, Cleland is making an argument that was subversive in his time: Sex workers deserve consideration and respect.

“As it was an inviolable law for every gallant to keep to his partner, for the night especially, and even till he relinquish'd possession over to the community, in order to preserve a pleasing property and to avoid the disgusts and indelicacy of another arrangement, the company, after a short refection of biscuits and wine, tea and chocolate, served in at now about one in the morning, broke up, and went off in pairs.”

The retention of monogamy in the orgy group is significant for its implications regarding the distinction between social and sexual morality. Monogamy appears to be an intersection between the two, as the women appear to be “kept” by one man at a time. Though the sex work and sexuality of women are considered taboo, they are still effectively held to the same standard as women in broader society, in which they are expected to sleep with only one man. Likewise, there seems to be an urge toward heteronormativity in this passage, as the ”disgusts” of another arrangement are likely related to the bodily fluids that might be shared between men through their sexual activities with the same woman.

“But when proceeding, on the foot of having broken the ice, to join discourse, he went into other leading questions, I put so much innocence, simplicity, and even childishness into my answers that on no better foundation, liking my person as he did, I will answer for it, he would have been sworn for my modesty. There is, in short, in the men, when once they are caught, by the eye especially, a fund of gullibility that their lordly wisdom little dreams of, and in virtue of which the most sagacious of them are seen so often our dupes.”

In pretending to be a virgin, Fanny exposes how male hegemony lowers the guards and attention of men regarding women. Though the patriarchal system oppresses women, Fanny notes one of how women can subvert that system by tricking or deceiving men. In this case, Mr. Norbert’s desire to exploit a power dynamic of hunting virgins prevents him from assessing Fanny realistically, allowing Fanny and Mrs. Cole to make more money off of him.

“You would ask me, perhaps, whether all this time I enjoy'd any perception of pleasure? I assure you, little or none, till just towards the latter end, a faintish sense of it came on mechanically, from so long a struggle and frequent fret in that ever sensible part; but, in the first place, I had no taste for the person I was suffering the embraces of, on a pure mercenary account; and then, I was not entirely delighted with myself for the jade's part I was playing, whatever excuses I might have to plead for my being brought into it; but then this insensibility kept me so much the mistress of my mind and motions, that I could the better manage so close a counterfeit, through the whole scene of deception.”

This scene with Fanny and Mr. Norbert highlights one of the few times that Fanny feels a conflict between the social and sexual moralities she navigates in the text. Most of her sexual encounters through her profession are enjoyable for her, and she comments that both the repulsion she feels toward Mr. Norbert and the knowledge of her deception of Mr. Norbert prevents her from enjoying herself. However, the fact that she is not enjoying herself allows her to pull off the deception more effectively. This passage suggests that, though Fanny largely embraces pure sexual freedom, she cannot overlook a moral issue when neither social nor sexual morality supports her actions.

“As soon as Mrs. Cole was gone, he seated me near him, when now his face changed upon me into an expression of the most pleasing sweetness and good humour, the more remarkable for its sudden shift from the other extreme, which, I found afterwards, when I knew more of his character, was owing to a habitual state of conflict with, and dislike of himself, for being enslaved to so peculiar a gust, by the fatality of a constitutional ascendant, that render'd him incapable of receiving any pleasure till he submitted to these extraordinary means of procuring it at the hands of pain, whilst the constancy of this repining consciousness stamp'd at length that cast of sourness and severity on his features: which was, in fact, very foreign to the natural sweetness of his temper.”

Mr. Barville’s sexual tastes are here presented as the result of self-loathing, which bridges into a kind of misguided psychoanalysis of sexuality, in which supposedly deviant sexuality must inherently be the result of a psychological problem. Since Mr. Barville is the only example in the text of someone enjoying bondage play, the text suggests that nonnormative sexual interests are problematic, though the assertion that Mr. Barville is still a “sweet” man implies that such issues do not impact character overall. The result is both a rejection of nonnormative sexuality and an acceptance of those who are “enslaved” to such tastes.

“You may be sure a by-job of this sort interfer'd with no other pursuit, or plan of life; which I led, in truth, with a modesty and reserve that was less the work of virtue than of exhausted novelty, a glut of pleasure, and easy circumstances, that made me indifferent to any engagements in which pleasure and profit were not eminently united; and such I could, with the less impatience, wait for at the hands of time and fortune, as I was satisfy'd I could never mend my pennyworths, having evidently been serv'd at the top of market, and even been pamper'd with dainties: besides that, in the sacrifice of a few momentary impulses, I found a secret satisfaction in respecting myself, as well as preserving the life and freshness of my complexion.”

This passage is critical to understanding Cleland’s presentation of sex work, in which Fanny is not demonized but praised for the way she chooses to live her life. Her sex work does not impact her view of her self-worth or character, and her lifestyle exists independently of her source of income. The importance of self-respect in this passage serves to emphasize how Fanny’s profession is not mutually exclusive from developments of character, morals, and wisdom.

“The criminal scene they acted, I had the patience to see to an end, purely that I might gather more facts and certainly against them in my design to do their deserts instance [sic] justice; and accordingly, when they had readjusted themselves, and were preparing to go out, burning as I was with rage and indignation, I jumped down from the chair, in order to raise the house upon them, but with such an unlucky impetuosity, that some nail or ruggedness in the floor caught my foot, and flung me on my face with such violence that I fell senseless on the ground, and must have lain there some time e'er any one came to my relief: so that they, alarmed, I suppose, by the noise of my fall, had more than the necessary time to make a safe retreat. This they effected, as I learnt, with a precipitation nobody could account for, till, when come to myself, and compos'd enough to speak, I acquainted those of the house with the whole transaction I had been evidence to.”

There are two ways to read the anti-gay sentiments Fanny expresses in this passage: Cleland is either presenting gay sex as a truly immoral act or satirizing the hypocrisy of heteronormative society. On one hand, Fanny, by 18th-century standards, is sexually immoral, which may suggest that her condemnation of gay sex highlights how intensely 18th-century society rejected gay men. However, on the other hand, given the fact that the 18th-century reader is not likely to trust Fanny’s moral outlook on sex, Cleland could be satirizing the hypocrisy of society’s acceptance of “deviant” sex between men and women while rejecting any form of sex between two men.

“I saw myself then in the full bloom and pride of youth (for I was not yet nineteen) actually at the head of so large a fortune, as it would have been even the height of impudence in me to have raised my wishes, much more my hopes, to; and that this unexpected elevation did not turn my head, I ow'd to the pains my benefactor had taken to form and prepare me for it, as I ow'd his opinion of my management of the vast possessions he left me, to what he had observ'd of the prudential economy I had learned under Mrs. Cole, of which the reserve he saw I had made was a proof and encouragement to him.”

Fanny’s situation near the end of the novel is better than she could have hoped had her parents lived and she remained in the country, and she correctly places the credit for her circumstances on Mrs. Cole. In a way, this passage shows that the true moral of the novel is to practice “prudential economy” more than any commentary on sexuality or manners. Though Fanny’s profession is not socially approved, it resulted in her complete success at a young age, allowing her, at this moment, to pursue her love and choose her own path for the remainder of her life. Furthermore, she is rewarded for being frugal with her money by her lover, who concludes that her good stewardship of her own money will make her a good steward of his. In that sense, the inheritance is not a reward for her sex work, but rather for her financial savvy.

“But when I opened the state of my fortune to him, and with that sincerity which, from me to him, was so much a nature in me, I begg'd of him his acceptance of it, on his own terms. I should appear to you perhaps too partial to my passion, were I to attempt the doing his delicacy justice. I shall content myself then with assuring you, that after his flatly refusing the unreserv'd, unconditional donation that I long persecuted him in vain to accept, it was at length, in obedience to his serious commands (for I stood out unaffectedly, till he exerted the sovereign authority which love had given him over me), that I yielded my consent to waive the remonstrance I did not fail of making strongly to him, against his degrading himself, and incurring the reflection, however unjust, of having, for respects of fortune, barter'd his honour for infamy and prostitution, in making one his wife, who thought herself too much honour'd in being but his mistress.”

This passage is a reversal of the dependence on men that much of the novel displays for women. When Fanny and Charles first met, she was entirely dependent on him, but with Charles losing his fortune, he is now dependent on her. Fanny still notes, however, that it is “degrading” for Charles to marry a sex worker, even though Fanny has managed herself into a sizable fortune. Charles’s preference for marriage, in this case, can be seen as a refusal to be “kept” as he once “kept” Fanny. If given the choice, it is likely that most women forced into sex work during this time would also choose marriage over extramarital dependence, though they lack the social power to demand such respect.