She believed in the traditional marriage performed at the altar before God, despite the heteronormative coupling described throughout the bible. Her identity as a lesbian (though this terminology was not used in her lifetime) did not conflict with her Anglican faith and interpretation of religious texts.

These guides encouraged readers to live as true Christians and embody the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude.Īnne’s relationship with God was quite different than one may expect.

People were expected to behave in an acceptable manner as posited by conduct writers such as Harriet Martineau (June 12, 1802-June 27, 1876) and Thomas Gisborne (October 31, 1758-March 24, 1846). How one views Anne Lister as a person depends largely on his or her definition of “decent.” Let’s break down the word, shall we?Īccording to Merriam-Webster, the word “decent” can be defined thusly:ģ : free from immodesty or obscenity Anne’s Moral IntegrityĬonduct books were available at this time and offered encyclopedic knowledge of all practical matters relating to religion, marriage, social behavior, and moral integrity. Featuring Suranne Jones as Anne Lister and Sophie Rundle as Ann Walker) (Cover of Anne Choma’s Gentleman Jack: The Real Anne Lister. Was Anne a decent person? It’s a simple question with a complicated answer. Upon learning more about Anne, however, I’ve realized that her predatory courting of Ann Walker casts a shadow on her otherwise remarkable character. I admire Anne Lister for her business acumen, her devoted attention to detail, and her unabashed love for women. Anne Choma decrypts Anne’s convoluted diary language and gives deeper context to scenes depicted on the big screen. In retrospect, I should have savored the book instead of flying through it with abandon. I began reading the companion project Gentleman Jack: The Real Anne Lister while halfway through watching the series. Anne, the raging lesbian that I, personally, had never heard of until I began watching Sally Wainwright’s BBC show Gentleman Jack.

I’m officially breaking my 6+ month hiatus from this blog in order to talk about my current obsession: Anne Lister (April 3, 1791-September 22, 1840).

Gentleman Jack by Anne Choma