In ‘The Whitechapel Virgin,’ I was eager to explore the personal relationships between the women. During my research I discovered many cold hard facts regarding their lives, but very few descriptions of their inner thoughts, feelings or emotions. Perhaps this is because they weren’t deemed to have possessed any, or were not deserving of such human traits. They were often labelled as the lowest of all subjects in society and therefore not much better than scum.
Nevertheless, the more I got to know the women during the writing process the more they revealed themselves to me, until eventually they decided to take over my book themselves. They each told me of their jealousy, fears, struggle for survival, and the silent pain they bore. By the time I completed the story I found my own views towards them had shifted somewhat. Where I once found them vile, I now offer nothing less than my full respect.
Victorian prostitutes were women born into a life of struggle within a society where the higher classes, and most especially men, ruled over them with an iron fist. Extorted and despised they endured difficult lives with no real hope of salvation. Such was the moralistic attitude at the time that even the Society for the Protection of Women and Children would close the door in their faces.
They begged to be heard but no-one chose to hear them, and it is only through depicting them through books like this can we truly listen.
Jack The Ripper
Basing this novel in 1888 opened up some interesting channels to explore, not least the one of Jack the Ripper himself. Anyone who speaks of Victorian London and hears the word ‘Whitechapel’ will more than likely think of the famous East End murderer who terrified female citizens during his short reign of terror.
I knew before deciding to use him as a fictional character that my foray into research could very well be vast and time-consuming as there are thousands of fan-sites, documented websites, reports, and forums all dedicated to the killer.
The prospect of such intense research seemed daunting enough until I realised that I needn’t pull my hair out. I was not writing yet another historical piece about Jack the Ripper. I didn’t need to digest and re-hash all the facts surrounding him within my own story. I was writing a fictional novel not another history book.
Still, one must keep certain relevant facts in place so as not to annoy or aggravate die-hard Ripperologists, or those who like to counter- check each and every fact for their own satisfaction.
When writing books set in a historical period there are indeed certain facts which should not be changed, even within a fictional context, if one does not want the story’s authenticity slammed and de-bunked entirely.
But revealing who Jack the Ripper might have been within a fictional context was in my opinion an interesting idea in which to base a fictional story upon, and one which has infinite possibilities.
In reality we do not know who the killer was, we dispute his identity, but the caricature we are given is one of a ruthless, whore-despising man donned in a tall hat and black cloak. Remember that this famous image is one that was completely fabricated by the media.
Ultimately, this story is much more of a tale reflecting the lives of the prostitutes in Whitechapel and their plight to survive the harsh climate. My decision to haul in Jack the Ripper as part of the plot only serves to heighten the drama and add some interesting elements to the scenes.
Mostly I realised that it would be interesting to explore the subject from the prostitutes’ viewpoint.
What did they say to each other about the murders?
How did they feel about venturing out into the streets in the aftermath of each murder, obviously aware that they were in danger of being struck down at any moment.
The final and most prominent question which has abounded for the last 150 years and will likely continue to be asked for years to come, is the one of Jack the Ripper’s identity. Since this has never been established I wished to explore the topic of his identity within a fictional context.
Bear in mind that in no way do I expect readers to believe that a character in a fiction novel is the real Jack the Ripper, but a reader must allow the author creative license and realise that the story is fictional, as are the characters and enfolding plot of the story.
I suppose you could say that there are many novels in existence which feature the famous east end character, and this is just one of them.
Lastly, I do hope my readers enjoy, ‘The Whitechapel Virgin,’ and as always I would be delighted to receive thoughts and feedback.
Carla Acheson
Reading Group Questions
Do you think the prostitutes would have changed any part of their lifestyle or routine once the murders in Whitechapel began?
Discuss the differences in police protection in 1888 compared to today. Were women more at risk of street crime and assault?
In Chapter Three, Annie helps Nellie abort her baby. Discuss the general attitude of Victorian women on the topic of motherhood and abortion.
How have views changed for unmarried mothers?
Consider the varying relationships between the women in the story. How have these changed over the last century?
Discuss why ‘Jack the Ripper,’ continues to hold such a large degree of fascination to people, despite never having been caught or identified.
Resources and links to further reading:
LinkDescription
Facebook The Whitechapel Virgin official Facebook page.
jack-the-ripper.org/ An online resource about the Whitechapel murders.
www.casebook.org/ Comprehensive public repository of Ripper related information.
Wikipedia article Facts relating to the serial killer.
Complete History of Jack the Ripper A Complete History of Jack The Ripper and a comprehensive account of London’s celebrated East End killer
The Last Gift
Also by Carla Acheson
Maggie Tanner’s first recollection of life within the Victorian slums of London is at the age of six years, witnessing the death of her grandmother shortly followed by the tragic birth of her mother’s stillborn twins.
Born to an impoverished family who face the daily threat of disease, starvation and the cruel work-houses, she is forced at the age of twelve to seek work and is taken into service within an upper class family. But in an effort to escape the tribulations of her class Maggie only begins to discover an even worse fate than death itself – the shocking moral ostracisation by society towards bastardy and the heartbreaking underworld business of baby-farming.
"Ripped from Dickens-era headlines, this Victorian-era potboiler is full of twists, turns and unexpected developments." -Judge, Writer’s Digest e-book Awards.
Available on Kindle and Paperback across all Amazon stores.
The Author
Carla lives in Gibraltar and is a member of the Freelance Writers Association. She runs a local writing group and works as a book-reviewer, having interviewed and published book reviews and articles for best-selling and award-winning author’s. Her articles and reviews have been featured in various publications, as well as Waterstones Quarterly UK Magazine.
Her other titles include a series of writing guides for beginners entitled ‘Inspire Me To Get Writing.’ ‘Inspire me with Writing Ideas,’ and ‘Inspire me with Characterisation.’ These titles are currently available on Amazon Kindle.
Final Words
Writing "The WhiteChapel Virgin" has been my focus for the past year. I've thoroughly enjoyed the process, including researching various aspects of life during the Victorian era. In the end though, this book was written with the hope that you, the reader, enjoy it.
I would be extremely grateful if yo
u could share your thoughts about this book with other readers. In the following page you will be able to rate and share your thoughts automatically through Twitter and Facebook. You can also leave an Amazon review. If you felt this book was enjoyable, please share your thoughts to help the book be seen by more of Amazon's readers.
Best wishes,
Carla Acheson
The Whitechapel Virgin Page 24