In the Victorian Era, Fasting Girls Were Considered Attractive
During the Victorian Era, there was an odd fascination with female fragility and death. If a woman was frail, pale, and looked like she was dying, it was considered to be attractive. For example, women with tuberculosis were considered to be the new beauty standard. The newspapers often described fasting girl’s physical attributes in a positive way. Mollie Fancher was described as a “tall, slender and graceful young lady, a decided blonde, and a universal favorite among her schoolmates.” Another described her, “She lay on a low bed in dainty white clothing […] her skin was wonderfully fair and smooth…” This fascination with morbidity is perhaps why these fasting girls became so popular in the first place, and why they had such a large fanbase of people who were willing to send them gifts and money.