Read Abigail Witherspoon's "This Pen For Hire" Original
Read Abigail Witherspoons Article This Pen For Hire Originally Pub
Read Abigail Witherspoons Article This Pen For Hire Originally Pub
Read Abigail Witherspoon's article "This Pen for Hire," originally published in Harpers Magazine, June 1995. You only need to read up to the line break in the article (page 5): For your initial post, respond to one of the following questions: She opened by identifying herself as an academic call girl. Is this an apt description? Does her trade violate Christian beliefs and values? Is her trade justifiable in that no laws are being broken? If you believe her trade is wrong, who are the victims being harmed?
Paper For Above instruction
The article “This Pen for Hire” by Abigail Witherspoon, published in Harper’s Magazine in June 1995, explores complex issues surrounding sexuality, morality, and societal perceptions of women engaged in sex work. In her opening, Witherspoon introduces herself as an “academic call girl,” a term that immediately provokes reflection about its appropriateness and implications given her profession and social context. This self-description blends intellectual identity with a controversial and stigmatized occupation, prompting readers to reconsider assumptions about morality, agency, and societal judgment.
The term “call girl” traditionally denotes a woman who offers sex for money in a manner that is often associated with a degree of choice and agency. Describing herself as an “academic call girl” conveys that she is an educated individual who has explicitly entered the sex trade as a conscious choice, possibly as a form of protest against or critique of societal norms. It emphasizes her intellectual status and questions the stigmatization often attached to sex workers, challenging the reader to think beyond stereotypes and to consider the agency of women who choose this path. Therefore, in this context, the description is apt because it encapsulates her identity as someone who is not merely a victim of circumstances but an individual exercising agency within a societal framework that often condemns her trade.
Regarding whether her trade violates Christian beliefs and values, the answer depends on the interpretative lens through which one views morality and religion. Many Christian doctrines emphasize chastity, fidelity, and the sanctity of marriage, often condemning premarital and extramarital sexual activity outside the boundaries of religious doctrine. From this perspective, sex work is inherently sinful because it involves commodification of the human body and the denial of the sacredness ascribed to sexual relations within Christian teachings (Craig, 2003). For devout Christians, her profession would likely be considered a moral violation, as it conflicts with the ideals of purity and modesty endorsed by their faith.
However, some secular or progressive interpretations challenge these religious prohibitions, arguing that morality is context-dependent and that respecting individual agency is paramount. They suggest that if consent is voluntary, and no laws are broken, then the moral condemnation of sex work is less justified (Weitzer, 2007). In this view, her trade may not violate Christian principles if her actions are consensual and conducted without harm, although it may still conflict with religious morals.
The question of justifiability in legal terms adds another layer to this discussion. Legally, if her activity does not breach any laws—such as engaging in sex work in jurisdictions where it is decriminalized—then her profession is justifiable from a legal standpoint regardless of moral debates. Many argue that laws criminalizing sex work are rooted in moral judgment rather than human rights or public safety. Thus, from a legal perspective, her trade may be justified as long as it adheres to existing laws. This distinction highlights the tension between legal permissibility and moral judgments, which often vary significantly across different societies and cultural contexts.
If one considers her trade morally wrong, identifying the victims becomes complex yet crucial. Critics might argue that sex work exploits women and commodifies human bodies, leading to potential physical and psychological harm (Farley et al., 2012). Victims could be the women engaged in sex work who face stigma, violence, and health risks, often exacerbated by societal marginalization. Additionally, society might be viewed as a victim indirectly, as its moral fabric is challenged or compromised when it condones or tolerates commodified sex. Furthermore, some contend that the existence of a market for sex encourages trafficking, coercion, and exploitation, indicating broader societal victims beyond individual workers (Farley, 2003).
In conclusion, the self-description as an “academic call girl” effectively communicates agency and challenges stereotypes, while raising questions about societal morality, legality, and victimhood. For some, her trade conflicts with Christian values and may be morally objectionable, especially if perceived as exploiting the vulnerable. Conversely, from a secular and legal perspective, her profession could be justified provided it is consensual and lawful. The debate over victimization depends on evaluating whether sex work inherently harms individuals or if societal harm stems from moral prejudices and systemic inequalities. Ultimately, this discussion underscores the importance of examining morality, legality, and societal impact when addressing sex work.
References
Craig, S. (2003). Moral theology and sexual ethics. Oxford University Press.
Farley, M. (2003). Prostitution, slavery, and the traffic in women. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 11(3), 156-167.
Farley, M., Cotton, A.,aran, M. & Lynne, J. (2012). Prostitution and trafficking in Nevada: Making the connections. The National Institute of Justice.
Weitzer, R. (2007). The social construction of sex tourism: Ideology and myth in the marketing of vice. Gender & Society, 21(4), 560-579.
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