Thursday 26 February 2009
The Gymslip: The Governess's Choice Every time
Wednesday 25 February 2009
Can You Guess What it is Yet: Prelim Cover Layout Part 1 & A Blog Comment / Contribution
Now back to anonymous posting. Remember none of the following is my work and it has little to do with the INSTITUTIONALISED storyline – but it does have a lot to do with discipline, so read on…
“ I think that the discipline which you have imposed on Judith is very appropriate given her poor behavior and there would be fewer problems generally if others followed your example. In the US individuals like this used to be dealt with by their parents or if not by a stay on the County Farm. Many errant young girls benefited from being back in a uniform being educated in a disciplined environment and made to perform arduous labor with frequent application of the switch to guide them. Although Judith’s regime is less severe, it is certainly of the right nature and I think there are several ways in which the punishment could be increased in severity - and imposition of these changes for no particular reason will I am sure help to further underline to Judith the deservedly isolated and powerless position she has earned herself. I would suggest firstly that, assuming the wearing of these woolen items is both humiliating, because they are like a school uniform (color, etc.) and physically uncomfortable to wear, that she should wear her cardigan, jacket (including mitts) at all times in addition to her existing uniform. Next toilet visits should be limited to one per day, at a time of your choice. If she wets her knickers then the punishment should be very severe including time using a bucket and no toilet in addition to the other punishments, which you quite rightly impose for even much more minor misdemeanors. Eating meat is a privilege and I would limit this to no more than 2 or 3 times per week. For someone who has continued to lie like your niece mouth washing should be at least daily if not twice daily. In addition, you might like to consider the regular dispensing of castor oil to her. I quite agree with your incorporation of corporal punishment into her regime, but would suggest she is given a spanking every Sunday in front of your guests. This should be long and hard, given her age, so that she feels not only the humiliation but also severe pain. To accentuate the pain her two hours of vigorous exercise should follow immediately afterwards. I would also like to suggest that, now she has completed 2 months of this regime, you tell her of the severity and longevity of the next stages so as to remove any hope she may have of much improved conditions in the future. I would assume she would be kept at least 2 more years in some form of uniform.”
As you probably realize this contribution is addressed to Judith’s aunt (Judith being another past contributor).
Meanwhile while I’m here I am making the most of the lack of distractions to continue refining the last few parts of INSTITUTIONALISED volume 2 and I have to report it is well on track for publication mid-March
See Y’all
Gath
Restrictive Clothing and Cramped School Desks
"Dear Garth, I read your blog of February 16th with great pleasure. Restrictive clothing has always been a favorite of mine, underwear especially. What can be more restrictive than a tight corset? I am all for the inclusion of a long chapter with a number of girls in a classroom where the (stated) goal of the experiment is to study the influence of “proper dress” on learning. Of course the girls as they sit in the classroom cannot forget for a minute their appearance. Be it the tight constricting, lace-up oxford shoes; sized far too small and that hobble them, imprisoning their feet so tightly that nothing can move inside. Walking in these shoes is painful; sitting in the classroom is the only way to alleviate the pain. But then the corset takes over, as it has been equally carefully designed to dig into the pubic bone and under the arm when sitting. The back garters are positioned so that it is impossible not to sit on them and not leave their imprint on their skin - with time, angry red marks develop.
Yes and yours would get mine too... Especially if they are crammed into the typical Victorian schoolroom desk-and-seat combo or some modern variant. The most interesting point about that type of design is that...in actuality it is so poor when it comes adaptability. Even in its original for it was designed to accommodate comfortably only a narrow size range - and of course the pupil has no control over the relative positions of the desk and chair, there can be no slovenly swing back on the chair or twisting nonchalantly to one side or the other and facing outwards with legs crossed...or even crossing the legs under the desk if the design has been engineered correctly. In short it is that very lack of flexibility that makes the Victorian schoolroom desk so amenable to enforcing the standards required for the imposition of strict discipline - it represents a little more of the aspect of personal choice rested away from the governess's charge.
Tuesday 24 February 2009
An Anonymous Contribution and A Couple More Links
Hi Folks; An anonymous contributor has left a new comment on the post "One Girl's Pyjama Discipline" (click to read original the post). As is my habit I have reproduced it here as comments don't seem to automatically display in full. As for my own taste; I prefer to think of the disciplinarian as being in loco parentis – the stern guardian with somewhat suspect, perhaps exploitative agenda, the strict governess with her rigid, outdated hypocritically Victorian views on the control of young ladies or perhaps the angrily-repressed and devout wrath of the fallen 'man of the cloth'. But others have different tastes – and this offering does possess something of the flavour of some of those early Janus letters, so I thought it only right to share it with you. Actually I get the feeling from the style that the contributor might be one of our visitors from the 'white socks' discussion board that I have told you about before and that I have suggested might like to continue there discussions here if that site becomes too unfriendly – actually I am considering opening a discussion board linked to this site, a yahoo group and perhaps, later, a full-blown website...but all that will have to wait for the completion of volume 2. I am going to have a couple of months off before starting volume3 and will tackle these projects then – vol 3 is at least one third complete so I can afford the time. Talking of volume 2: it is now standing at 212 pages with most of the rest written and waiting to be inserted after a bit of tidying up and with the addition of a bit of linking text to stitch it all together. as I've said before; I may have to pare it down a bit at the end if it ends up looking too 'wordy' but other than that, thats about it!
I have also added / updated a couple of links in the resource list in the sidebar on right.
(1) 'British Spanking' (A fantastic free resource for spanking pictures; F/f, uniforms, discipline and humilation.
“I had a similar experience when I was found to have been smoking during my summer holidays when I was 17. My parents were furious and punished me in a very severe manner which thankfully I had not experienced previously or thereafter. As I had behaved in such a distrustful and stupid way they decided I would be spending the next two weeks of my holidays in detention dressed in school uniform. I was shocked at the thought of being dressed for 2 weeks in my school skirt, shirt and blazer and having to do school work all day but as I was taken to the guest bedroom where I was to serve my detention I could not imagine the severity of the consequences of my action. The room had a desk and hard wooden chair in the middle of it and here the full extent of my punishment was revealed. I had to dress not in my normal school uniform but in something more junior befitting my behavior and so that it was clear to everyone who saw me that I was being punished. Having removed my jewelery and make-up I had to dress in plain white knickers, grey knee socks, my black laced shoes, a blue shirt, maroon and blue striped tie, grey pleated pinafore dress and finally a V-neck grey cardigan. Finally my mother made me put my hair in a ponytail. This was how I was to dress for the next 2 weeks. I was fearful that I would not escape a spanking despite my age but I had underestimated the extent of my parents anger. I was to be spanked every week of my punishment and receive four strokes of the cane immediately. I argued and the punishment was increased to six stokes. It was the first and final caning I have ever received and was both painful and humiliating. The two weeks which turned into three because of my lack of discipline were a severe lesson. I was confined to my room writing endless lines not doing useful school study. I had to attend meals with the family, explain my predicament in front of visitors and was made on occasion to stand in a corner or facing the wall hands behind my back or on my head. On the three Sundays during my punishment I had to attend Church in my uniform for everyone to see - it was awful. The most humiliating moment was when my father decided that, as I was continuing to be non-compliant during my first week of punishment, my first spanking would be carried out in front of my brother and sisters. Being bent over his knee in front of them, my dress lifted, my knickers stripped to my knees and then spanked until I was crying uncontrollably with pain is not something I have ever forgotten. I was certainly taught my lesson and made an example of - suffice to say I have never smoked again.”
Sunday 22 February 2009
A Very Quick Update and a Couple of Links
Thursday 19 February 2009
Truth Stranger than Fiction: A House of Chastisement for Difficult Girls in Victorian Bristol -
Its odd where inspiration can come from sometimes: For example I have previously mentioned the guarded references in Mozart's Magic Flute on this blog. Today I have been fitting the finishing touches to a section of volume 2 dealing with the description of a school uniform. I know that doesn't sound so galling, but I am something of a perfectionist and I ( in common with certain scheming behind-the-scenes plot-line characters) have a very specific view of what I am trying to achieve here. It has to suit an adult female form, yet seem juvenile enough to rob the wearer of any kind of credibility, both in her own eyes and those of others. It is not enough that it belittles the girl - it should also, by the very image it subconsciously inspires, encourage others, her betters if you will (even you and I if we were to come across her) to automatically treat her in the appropriate manner without thinking. And this should be so even if meeting her for the first time; even if one has not been briefed as to how to react one should find oneself taking an authoritative stance - it should seem quite natural to do so. This is what uniforms are supposed to do, depersonalise and underline a particular role and attitude to fulfil. In a similar way the uniforms that the nurses (and wardresses in volume 2) wear should subconsciously underline their authority and automatically place their charges, the girls, quite naturally on a submissive footing from the get go. Then the is the question of whether there should be any aspect to the design that might be thought 'sexy' in any way - personally I think that would be a mistake, although certain features might be incorporated that make use of the female form to titillate the onlooker, but always with the proviso tat it should not make the girl feel 'attractive' in any way. On the contrary - she should feel shame. In fact I came upon a view about some aspect of this while searching for the origin of the artwork I have used at the top of this post and that was sent to me anonymously (I hope the artist doesn't mind, it is a brilliant piece of work but if he or she objects obviously I will remove it instantly). Anyway, click on it to read a lovely discussion of school uniform discipline or CLICK HERE. Interestingly the writer bemoans having to wear rubber pants (Knickers), presumably rather than school knickers or possibly under them (it isn't clear) which she describes as 'degrading' but the goes on to say 'as it should be' - a sentiment with which I wholeheartedly agree! Going back to today's assignment: I think I would prefer to see some combination of the features of the underwear she describes - I am thinking along the lines of the 'crisp, sweaty bottle-green polyester' school knickers she so evocatively describes, so of a quite conventional, if old-fashioned, appearance externally, but lined with latex or perhaps having a removable rubber lining. I am not sure that they would need to be 'really big and baggy' as the writer suggests, but I am certain of the necessity of broad, tight leg elastics - with 17 hours a day spent crammed in a little cramped Victorian school desk and with toilet visits by necessity limited to specified times, there are bound to be one or two little accidents from time to time. Actually I think a case can be made for the diametrically opposite, ie of extreme and carefully engineered close fitting - but then again a more voluminous garment does lend itself to the inclusion of various additions, taking into account differing expediences, some features of which might well be adapted where it is felt that a little additional shame wouldn't go amiss. And to this point we haven't even began to discuss the outerwear - Skirt or pinafore / gymslip? Pleated or plain or should it be a dress? Long or short sleeved blouse? If long sleeved, puffed Victorian style shoulders and long stiff cuffs buttoned with three in-line buttons, high stiff starched shirt-style collar with school tie or something a little more feminine, childish, perhaps flouncy wit a 'peter pan' collar. Poplin, Crisp, sweaty nylon, or even crisper starched and stiff cotton. Stripped (my present favorite) or plain, white or coloured? The questions go on and on, but I am slowly narrowing down the design. Bear in mind that I am only talking about the design of the uniforms worn by the 5 or 6 girls housed in the institution's 'Schoolroom' wing and the imposition of an actual school uniform is something that the Powers-that-be have only just begun to consider (along with a considerable tightening up of the already very tight discipline). Maybe you'd prefer they be kept in the type of nylon dress-style overall that I have mainly concentrated on up until now, that you will have met in INSTITUTIONALISED volume 1 and that is basically supposed to approximate to a prison uniform. But I think this new aspect opens up some excitingly new disciplinary avenues to explore...what do you think? Views anyone?
Now the unexpected / truth stranger than fiction bit. While doing the above research and having chucked 'high buttoning stiff collared blouses - or some such combination of search terms - into google, by a kind of tortuous route I came across a nice little piece of writing about an admission procedure and a young girl incarcerated in a strict woman's prison (this is not the truth etc bit - this is the unexpected bit) CLICK HERE to read.
Then, on Flickr of all places (The Truth is Stranger than Fiction bit) I came across a piece, purporting to be true, about a house of chastisement for difficult girls in Victorian Bristol. I do remember reading something similar, reported and elaborated upon at some length it must be said, in Janus many, many moons ago. To read it CLICK HERE (the Flickr version that is - if I find that old copy of Janus I'll scan it in for you lucky folks). To quote from the article: