The Fallen Woman

Love is a beautiful thing. Love is defined as an intense connection between two people. Love can sometimes drive people do things they would not normally do. This is evident in the book The End of the Affair. In the book, The End of the Affair, Sarah and her lover Bendrix display what love is. They adore one another. The problem with their relationship is the fact that Sarah is married to Henry. The love Sarah has for Henry does not compare to what she feels for her lover Bendrix. Her love for Henry is old news to her. Although, Henry still loves Sarah their relationship is shattered because of the love she possesses for Bendrix. There, however lies a problem with adultery. The women of Sarah’s time were focused on social equality, women’s rights and changing their roles in society. Sarah displayed something different. The book The End of the Affair, was written during the Modern Era, but throughout we see how Victorian ideas are incorporated and we see how Sarah displays the image of the “fallen woman” …show more content…
Since this book was written during the Modern Era, one would think that Sarah would be the “New Woman” who was trying to educate herself, break the male supremacy barrier, and earn equality in society. One would think that Sarah would trying to build her self-image up, instead of tearing it down by cheating on her husband. However, we see that Sarah is not the “New Woman” of her time, however, she reflects the “Fallen Woman” that was most evident during the Victorian Era. The “fallen woman” did not much care for her image, but cared mostly about herself and her desires. Sarah’s infidelity is what makes her fallen. Surely, her love for Bendrix is real, but the fact that she is married to Henry cannot be overshadowed just because she is in love with another man. Sarah cared more about pleasing her own pleasures rather than staying faithful and true to her husband