Redemptive qualities of 'The Fallen Woman' in Nathaniel Hawthorne's the Scarlet Letter and Wilkie Collins' the New Magdalen

This study aims to analyse the portrayal of the 'fallen woman' in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and Wilkie Collins' The New Magdalen within the historical context of the Victorian and Puritan eras. During the Victorian Era, the social and cultural framework of England revolved around male hegemony, granting men exclusive access to many forms of authority. Nevertheless, the social organisation within Puritanism exhibited a pronounced patriarchal nature. The phrase 'fallen woman' referred to women who departed from social norms and violated moral limits. This thesis comparatively analyses the relationship between the female characters in the stated novels, who are perceived as 'fallen women', and their ability to regain their identities and rebuild their lives despite being oppressed by society. The analysis is conducted within the framework of redemption. Despite the challenges and barriers they encountered within the framework of religion and society, these female heroes persevered and remained resolute, taking into account the Victorian and Puritan era in which they resided. These women, stigmatised by society as 'fallen', formed their own agency to construct their own life, emancipated from the influence of any man.