18th Century Pornography
Age of Fanny Hill
In the 18th century, Memoirs of a Women of Pleasure (Fanny Hill) by John Cleland, became the most popular pornographic work of that time. It was written from 1748 to 1749 and was the first pornographic novel that was written elegantly with flow, respectful grammar and rhythmic speech. Shorty after the novel came out, it was considered obscene and would remain ‘underground’ until 1966.
“The plot summary is that a young orphan girl named Fanny Hill moves to London at the age of fifteen and falls into prostitution. She loses her virginity to a nobleman named Charles whereby they fall in love and Fanny becomes pregnant. At the height of their love, Charles is kidnapped away by his father, which leads Fanny back to prostitution and a diverse range of sexual exploits. In the end, Fanny inherits a small fortune from a rich benefactor, she stumbles upon Charles whereby all is forgiven, Charles proposes to Fanny and they marry,” (Cleland, 1985).