harlots is so special to me because not only does it center lower class women, it specifically explores a class of women (sex workers) that are typically depicted as accessories in period pieces rather than actual characters. there is not one singular character that bears the burden of being the all encompassing representation of sex workers. so the effect that this exploitative industry has on women can be explored in multiple ways. this is best represented in the in polar opposite response to sexual trauma that margaret and florence have and how it impacts their relationships with their daughters. though both were forced into sex work, florence is riddled with shame and copes with it by turning to religion. she views her daughter as her redemption and therefore imposes her religious fanaticism on her. she believes if she can raise a “pure” daughter she can atone for her own “sins” and is gravely fearful of amelia following her footsteps. despite the fact that florence doesn’t continue the cycle of abuse via sexually exploiting her daughter (as margaret does) she does groom and shelter amelia to bear the burden of living her life for the sake of florence’s salvation rather than her own.
whereas margaret has become so desensitized to sexual violence she believes it’s the only option for a woman of her socioeconomic status. she inflicts on her daughters the same abuse that she was subjected to and for the majority of the series refuses to acknowledge her daughter’s trauma because she prioritizes her own discomfort with recognizing the harm she’s inflicting on charlotte over charlotte’s feelings. her intention of grooming charlotte for sex work comes from a place of survival rather than profit, and she makes a genuine attempt to be a “good” madame but intention does not negate the end result. margaret is not alleviating her daughters from the confines of patriarchal violence, but rather teaching them to function within it.
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