Writing (Medieval) prostitutes?

[punkreader]

In a story not submitted here, one of the 7 viewpoint characters, and my first developed one, is a prostitute. The entire story takes place in the span of about 250 years, from about 1240 to a bit past 1490.

But, anyway, I'm pretty confident in my ideas of how she behaves and whatnot:

- she's submissive when she has to be in her interactions, but wants to be the one in control;
- she's deeply unhappy in her job, and develops a drinking problem that later contributes to the breakdown of her marriage (along with severe communication issues);
- she is worried about pregnancy and disease;
- she views sex afterwards as "Something that is done in exchange for something else, that can be pleasurable, but might not always be. The discomfort is worth whatever I've set myself up to gain.";
- she does not dislike sex outright, but she usually doesn't find it all that pleasurable, either;
- she has an intense fear of starvation stemming from earlier experiences, but fed (no pun intended) during her tenure in the brothel system, in which food is tied to work and the money she brings in;
- she does eventually find a lover, in a disgraced and very wealthy noblewoman, but this noblewoman, unhappy in her own life with a husband she cannot love (she being a lesbian, and he being not at all...warm and fuzzy) and a family that cast her away for not sharing in its political ambitions, wants to control her as well, albiet mostly in the sexual realm. That relationship brings its own host of problems for both women;

I've read BeautifulDesire's wonderful article on the "New Prostitute," and it was helpful. But what do you think of the above? What more could I do? How do you think I should write a Medieval prostitute?

Also, the setting can be explained, if it's needed, but I think "brothel" is rather self-explanatory - the story itself is set in Medieval Japan (Kamakura and Muromachi eras), as well as a bit in the later Heian as part of one character's backstory, and isn't included in the timeline above.

 

[CWatson]

Ah, a fellow troper! It's always good to meet those around here.

I was all set to mention what I know about European medieval structure, but then I found out you're talking about Feudal Japan, of which I know nothing, so all I can think of to say is this: Don't forget the basic rules of patriarchal societies. Ancient Athens and modern Islam are very similar in their attitudes towards women: female sexuality is the temptation, and it is the burden of the man to resist it. To aid in this, women are almost never allowed out in public, and if they are, they're swathed in clothing so stifling as to make it almost impossible to tell if they're attractive. Japanese samurai culture, with its emphasis on machismo and testosterone, would enforce limitations for similar reasons.

By which I mean: how are you going to explain the lesbian having enough freedom to visit a brothel? Admittedly I know almost nothing about Japanese culture during this period of history (or, for that matter, any other), but it seems unlikely given what I know of human history and behavior patterns.

(And of course if this is for the InuYasha fic you mentioned, then all rules go out the window. )

 

[fire_breeze]

In a story not submitted here, one of the 7 viewpoint characters, and my first developed one, is a prostitute. The entire story takes place in the span of about 250 years, from about 1240 to a bit past 1490.

But, anyway, I'm pretty confident in my ideas of how she behaves and whatnot:

- she's submissive when she has to be in her interactions, but wants to be the one in control;
- she's deeply unhappy in her job, and develops a drinking problem that later contributes to the breakdown of her marriage (along with severe communication issues);
- she is worried about pregnancy and disease;
- she views sex afterwards as "Something that is done in exchange for something else, that can be pleasurable, but might not always be. The discomfort is worth whatever I've set myself up to gain.";
- she does not dislike sex outright, but she usually doesn't find it all that pleasurable, either;
- she has an intense fear of starvation stemming from earlier experiences, but fed (no pun intended) during her tenure in the brothel system, in which food is tied to work and the money she brings in;
- she does eventually find a lover, in a disgraced and very wealthy noblewoman, but this noblewoman, unhappy in her own life with a husband she cannot love (she being a lesbian, and he being not at all...warm and fuzzy) and a family that cast her away for not sharing in its political ambitions, wants to control her as well, albiet mostly in the sexual realm. That relationship brings its own host of problems for both women;

I've read BeautifulDesire's wonderful article on the "New Prostitute," and it was helpful. But what do you think of the above? What more could I do? How do you think I should write a Medieval prostitute?

Also, the setting can be explained, if it's needed, but I think "brothel" is rather self-explanatory - the story itself is set in Medieval Japan (Kamakura and Muromachi eras), as well as a bit in the later Heian as part of one character's backstory, and isn't included in the timeline above.

Historical cultural anthropologist here, by profession. And I was bummed out that I couldn't show off my speciality

Be wary about trying to cram too much details. You're writing a story and not a thesis, and what you are proposing is both delicate and incredibly ambitious.

My suggestion? Don't bog down on details. First of all, as a non-specialist, you won't be able to. Bloody hells, I've been at this for about ten years and I still get many things wrong. So trying to be accurate will be a fruitless endeavour, and will cause a lot of frustration on your part. Second, get to know the time period really really really well. The social, political, cultural, economic and religious factors and then focus on the sexual underworld of the time and place. Do not start small. It won't work, and you'll inevitably get a bunch of historians on your back. Third, use the details to propel your story and not the other way around.

Whenever I watch a 'historical' film or read a historical novel that tries to be as accurate as possible (almost always written a non-historian or history nerd), it rankles me to the point that I want to scream in frustration. That said, I adore historical novels - those that are written well focuses on the plot and uses history as a vehicle to drive the story and not try make the time period fit to the story.

Enjoy and good luck.

 

[berg177]

How do you think I should write a Medieval prostitute?

If you don't feel comfortable/confidant writing in the era you picked there is another option. Set your fantasy in another world that is Feudal Japan like instead of a fully researched, historically accurate Japan. If you want to write the next "Shogun" I think that's great but there are a lot of people out there that have an interest in Japanese history and a glaring error about position defined behavior could throw the reader right out of the story. In pure fantasy you have the benefit of not having to explain the whole setting by letting the readers figure out "Oh! This place is like Feudal Japan. I know where I am" and then let your characters run wild.

 

[Joshua_silver]

If you don't feel comfortable/confidant writing in the era you picked there is another option. Set your fantasy in another world that is Feudal Japan like instead of a fully researched, historically accurate Japan. If you want to write the next "Shogun" I think that's great but there are a lot of people out there that have an interest in Japanese history and a glaring error about position defined behavior could throw the reader right out of the story. In pure fantasy you have the benefit of not having to explain the whole setting by letting the readers figure out "Oh! This place is like Feudal Japan. I know where I am" and then let your characters run wild.

I completely agree with this. With an imaginary - japan-ish setting you can keep the details you're sure about and improvise the ones you aren't. It might even be more fun for you in the longrun.

 

[punkreader]

I'm only doing the research for the things that I can (relatively) easily find information on. The rest I'm making up - I'm not trying to write the next anything, but I do enjoy doing research. I am improvising, quite a bit of it - even if it doesn't seem like I am. And I most certainly am having fun.

 

[Lost_Yonder]

Though from a slightly earlier period of Japanese history, you may want to read The Tale of Genji - a beautifully descriptive story of court culture.

While prostitution is certainly universal, I do think there are different "cultures" of prostitution, even today. But more importantly, for your story, taking a clinical definition of prostitution informed by today's theoretical concepts of gender, labor, sexuality, etc. and applying it to nearly 1000 years ago seems problematic.

Courtesians, for example, are a very different form of prostitution than a woman working a brothel or walking the streets today. One might also wonder, were there in fact brothels at that point in time? What was the class structure of prostitution - did poor urban men have access or was it just a courtly/high class activitiy? Who could afford what? Particularly in a society that was still predominately without currency - outside of the elite.

Adultruous affairs of members of the court in early Japan are recognized - though how free and open they were I don't really know. Thus, a married prostitute doesn't seem so unusual, though would she have been a prostitute or just an available woman? Japanese culture tends to be one of the most misogynst around - to grossly generalize. How does that play into it all???

 

[punkreader]

I did read it, actually, and enjoyed it.

The character here, however, isn't a courtesan - she's not a high-class anything, really. She's a sex worker (I've come across the term yujo a couple of times for sex workers in olden days), and a poor one at that. I can cite what I have, if you'd like? There are courtesans in her environment, but she doesn't want to be one (she thinks that their lifestyles must be lovely but even more confined than hers.) There are also male prostitutes, with whom she interacts. There were, indeed, brothels at that point in time (from research). Here, from my notes (with citations):

"On the other hand the life of most prostitutes was grim. They were controlled by the brothel owner and had typically been forced into prostitution as a result of poverty." (Deal, 117)

"In the Medieval period, there was a social class below that of peasant. These were the outcastes, usually known by the term eta {hereditary outcaste) or hinin (literally, "nonhuman, " outcaste by occupation or social status)....Hinin were usually outcastes as a result of some social transgression, such as committing a crime, or who were engaged in activities deemed outside of proper social roles, such as actors and performers." (111)

"... In the early modern period, however, the government drew a very specific destinction between them: eta referred to those who were outcastes by birth, and hinin were outastes as a result of their occupation....The hinin worked in occupations that were considered outside of the fourfold social class system recognized by the shogunate. Such occuaptions were thought to contribute little if any value to society, and included those who were beggars, itinerant and street entertainers, prostitutes, and criminals. Hinin status was not hereditary as eta status was. It was rather a status that one fell into as a result of economic hardship or moral failing. Ironically, the warrior elites who dictated proper social values were also among those who frequented the pleasure quarters [what the red-light districts were known as; added] and enjoyed the various entertainments to be found there." (114-5)

All the passages I quoted above are from William E. Deal's Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan, which I did buy specifically for this work. Warriors had currency, and they used it - coin or land holdings were used, although I'd have to go back and check exactly which.

Commoners, at this point in time, could afford nothing like this, and so it was the elite and the warrior (and later merchant, as well) classes who took advantage of such things. It was during the Early Modern period when things really started to be defined - prior to that, there apparently wasn't much need for lines. And I'm writing in the Medieval, and not early Modern, period, where I have (I think) a lot of creative leeway, just by virtue of there not being too much information.

In this case, my character has already bought and begged and blackmailed her way out of the profession, and married without her husband knowing about her former job. She wasn't a married prostitute. His culture, a subset of the demonic (which I'm expanding), has different rules from the human society. Very different rules in some cases. For a list of those rules/laws, see here: http://evfan257.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d36dw6r (Links to the other two articles are at in my Artist's Comments).

 

[Lost_Yonder]

Sounds very intriguing and that you've done the research you've needed to do. Would be curious to read the story once you've completed it.

 

[punkreader]

Sounds very intriguing and that you've done the research you've needed to do. Would be curious to read the story once you've completed it.

Thank you! I've done enough to satisfy most of my curiosity, certainly. Most. I'm very curious, about everything. I won't be completely happy until I've explored every avenue I can, and I constantly badger my friends, parent, and teachers with questions and "Well, what if I did this instead...?" questions. I'm lucky they've been so patient! And I've gotten a bit of help from others who are interested in the story, in the realm of teachers. I'm just writing for my own enjoyment, though, not for anyone else's, or for a nonexistent audience. I enjoy writing - even the essays I write for school are fun - although I plan on going into medicine or a scientific field. If I get really lucky and work hard enough, I want to be a scientific writer (if I can't physically make it through med. school.) - that, for me, would be absolutely wonderful! /geeking out about dream job. Working in infectious disease, or for the Epidemic Intelligence Service would be awesome, too.

Well, if you're interested (and I'm interested in garnering future readers, corny as it sounds), there's a link in my signature to a work-in-progress self-written summary of the work. It is a fanfiction, though, and much of it is nonsexual, and rather violent/disturbing (at least, I've had it called that by others). I'm more proud of those labels than I am discouraged - if it disturbs people (by which I mean "makes them think seriously about something they value or treasure"), then I'm doing what I set out to.