But, in order to protect herself from Dr. Flint’s advances, Harriet is forced to throw away the Victorian standard of purity to protect herself. As a result, Harriet struggles to share her story as a woman who is now seen as being stained or tainted.
During the 1880s to 1920s, the Victorian Era served as an active attempt to nurture and protect girlhood by keeping girls under “a protective umbrella” (Brumberg 17). This umbrella was used to not expose girls to the world at a young age and keep them safe while they begin to transition from home to a husband. In the Victorian Era, the focus on girls was heavily based on character instead of the body, as girls