Magdalene laundries free essay sample

Introduction Firstly this essay will examine the background of the Magdalen Laundries, when they started, and the reason behind them . This essay will then compare and contrast the nineteenth century asylums to the representation in the Magdalen Sisters film from 2002. It will compare the two centuries of asylums to see whether they were built for the purpose of profit , also it will look at whether the women entered and left the asylum of their own free will . Finally it will explore the day to day running of the Magdalen Asylums and how the asylums performed as a function for Irish society. The first Magdalen Laundry was set up in 1766. Lulddy 2002,). At this time prostitution was a big problem in Ireland. It existed publicly on the streets and was a way of life for many women (Luddy 1997, 485). The purpose of the Magdalen Laundry was to rehabilitate prostitutes. It wasnt till the 19th century that they became a more important part of Irish society. We will write a custom essay sample on Magdalene laundries or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page During this period the Magdalen laundries housed women from all parts of society these women were known as fallen women. The term relates to women who had lost their virginity outside of marriage regardless of it being voluntary or involuntary, women who had been left by their partner, nmarried mothers and women who were seen to be sexually playful would also be known as Fallen women (McMarthy 2010) . They would be treated the same as prostitutes. According to (McCarthy2010,) women did not have to sell their body for profit to be considered a prostitute. In the beginning both Protestant and Catholic institutes were mainly run by laywomen but by the 1830s the congregations of female religions took control of the catholic Magdalen Asylums. M. Smith 2007). The religious run institutions continued to run until the 1990s, when the last Magdalene laundry in Dublin closed (http://www. he]ournal. ie/magdalene-laundry. ) While the majority of the lay protestant asylums ceased operation by the early twentieth century. (M. Smith 2007). By 1900 there were twelve Catholic run Magdalen Asylums which housed 11,506 w omen these women were also known as penitents. (M. Smith 2007) In the nineteen century most Magdalen Asylums were not operating for profit but for the sole reason of reforming the Fallen women. They didnt receive government funding and did not avail of any capitation grants they survived by donations, endowments from wills and legacies. They also had the money that was received rom the operation of the Magdalen laundries were the women worked without pay. (M. Smith 2007). Finnegan supports this with evidence from the asylum in New Ross, she found that in the early years the asylum struggled to exist with very little women also the asylum was in dire poverty. The sisters kept going regards of the lack of penitents and very little money also the work that was been done was not enough to support the community . n addition the twentieth century saw a big change evidence the operation of the laundries during 1950s and 1960s the equivalent of EIOO,OOO in todays money was made. Raftery and OSullivan 1999)More over there is evidence of this throughout in the Magdalen Sisters film from the beginning when the women are entering, the Head Sister is sitting at her desk counting bundles of money and again in the middle the man who collects the laundry hands over more bundles of cash for the laundry services the women provided . In addition it is suggested that women who entered the Magdalen Asylums were usually referred by the religious order . However this theory can be challenged by the fact that before 1900, 40 percent of women that entered the asylum did so at their own free will. Smith 2007 ). What is more Luddy suggests that this figure could even be higher after examining the records of seven asylums in the nineteenth century she found that approximately 66 percent of women entered the asylum voluntary . The women entered as a source of relief and were free to leave at any time, approximately 28 percent returned home a number of times. (Smith 2007,). In contrast to the twenty century, research shows that women were incarcerated against their own free will . This is evident from what was represented in the film the Magdalen Sister when Margaret tells her female cousin about her been sexually ssaulted by Kevin, when her cousin tells her father he and the family priest decides Margarets faith and she is sent to the Magdalen laundry. Margaret was not allowed leave the home without a family member who was over eighteen, in her case it took many years till her brother came to release her. In spite of the different ways the women entered the asylums the daily routine remained the same, for the duration of the existence of the asylums. M Smith describes the daily routine of the women as physically demanding, emotionally harsh and monotonously repetitive in the nineteenth century. Indeed we can see this when e compare this description to the Magdalen Sisters as the women rise early, make their bed, morning prayers, the women then start on their daily chores, they break for mass after they get something to eat and return to work till late in the evening only stopping for prayers throughout the day, a small amount of time is given for recreation before night prayers are said as the women set to bed to resume this strict regime of prayer, labour and silence again the next day. The Magdalen Asylum was set up to deal with the problem of prostitution in Ireland. This became a problem when prostitution was visible in society. The asylums were a ay of society attempting to keep respectable women and girls away from the unrespectable. (Luddy 1997,). The prostitute was considered to be a site of both physical and moral degeneration, and attempts to resolve this problem focused on confinement. (Luddy 2002,) In contrast to the twenty century, the asylums were no longer a way of society answer to reform prostitution. Maria Luddy suggests that in the twentieth century the Magdalen asylums became homes for unmarried mother , and that society used these house as a hiding place for women who had not only option he believes that by 1920s the asylums had departed from their original peration to rehabilitate women so that they could return to society but instead the states way of containment of problem women. In the film this was also the case as the majority of the women were sent to the Magdalen Asylums as a way of hiding the fact that they had had children out of marriage . n one hand we can see from comparing the nineteenth century to the twentieth asylums, the type of women that entered the asylums changed, however the functions the asylums had on society stayed the same as the houses were are way to hiding women who were deemed morally wrong and a problem to society. M. Smith suggests that sexually promiscuous women, especially unmarried mothers and their illegitimate child are a serious challenge to the economic stability. Conclusion In conclusion of this essay the evidence suggests that the Magdalen Asylums were built for the purpose of the rehabilitation of prostitutes , despite this as time went on so did the reason for the asylums. The Magdalen Asylums no longer only housed prostitutes but also what was known as fallen women such as unmarried mothers, abandoned women and women who were seen as promiscuous. Thus we can see from this essay how the Magdalen Asylum changed over the years and made large rofits from the free laborer the paitents provided in the laundries.