50 pages 1 hour read

John Cleland

Fanny Hill

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1748

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Letter 2, Parts 8-10Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Letter 2, Part 8 Summary

Mrs. Cole discovers that the man Fanny met at the fruit market is Mr. Norbert, a wealthy man known for his debauchery. His frail condition is the result of years of abusing his vices, including drinking and sex, and his favorite habit is to have sex with virgins, whom he usually keeps until he becomes tired of them. Over many meetings, Mr. Norbert arrives at an agreement with Mrs. Cole to procure Fanny’s supposed virginity, at which point Mr. Norbert comes to spend a night with Fanny. Fanny pretends to be scared and nervous. Mr. Norbert has a small penis, making it more challenging to feign fear. Fanny fights off Mr. Norbert’s attempts for a while, then lets him have sex with her a couple of times, noting that he does not last long. She waits for him to fall asleep, then, using sponges of fake blood hidden in the bedposts, Fanny makes it look like she bled from having sex, indicating virginity. The ruse convinces Mr. Norbert when he wakes up. Mr. Norbert keeps Fanny for a few months, though Fanny notes how unsatisfying their sexual relations are. Fanny sleeps with a sailor one night out of desperation, but Mrs.