Male And Female Relationships : An Important Integrant Of Nineteenth Century British Society And Literature

In modern society, men and women share more equality, however sexual discrimination played a larger part in the perceived role of women in the Victorian Era as seen in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë , and through Jane’s devout passion and defying the normalities and expectations for women of this era, the concept of feminism is portrayed through Jane caused by the manipulation of the patriarchy through the significant men seen in this book. The concept of gender roles isn’t a genuine truth, but is a product of the dominant patriarchy and social practice that is so alluded to throughout the novel. Now, as the active role of women is increasingly recognized by society, the actual controversy lies in the idea that an uncontrollable factor such as gender can determine the portrayal of a person in that society, and that women aren’t accepted as mutual equals, but victimized to be subservient to men. The bestowed role of women is apparent in all societies, but is especially evident concerning the direct placement of women and constant suppression of character and desires, such as Jane endured throughout her lifetime. As Jane’s restless spirit becomes agitated with her stagnant place, she often seeks solitude in the solemn attic to dwell in silence. There she paces, allowing her ever-expanding thoughts to wander, and now she considers the achievability of satisfaction, and the unattainability of tranquility and contentment. Jane demonstrates her frustration, and how the

Homosocial, according to Sedgwick, is a “word occasionally used in history and the social sciences, where it describes social bonds between person of the same sex” and is “applied to such activities as ‘male bonding’” (696). Such a concept is demonstrated by the friendship between Dr John Seward, Arthur Holmwood, and Quincey Morris. Despite being rivals for Lucy Westerna’s affection, they are seen “[mingling their] weeps over the wine-cup, and [drinking] a health with all [their] hearts to the happiest man in all the wide world” (Stoker 69), which shows that Lucy choosing Arthur did not impact the friendship between the three men. With this in mind, how did the relationship of these three men reflect the Victorian notion of ‘manhood’ and ‘friendship’? Do you think that the definition of homosocial applies to the contemporary concept of

In “The Myth of Homosexuality” by Christine Downing, there is the discussion of homosexuality and its meaning over the years. Downing begins the article by stating how a myth has classified women-on-women and men-on-men relationships to fall under the same term of homosexuality, but there is much deeper understanding to it than that. The classification under one word has caused a lot of shaping concerning how they are viewed or how they view themselves. In order to look past the surface of what defines the myth, Downing states that we must start with the culture’s myth and it’s origin.

Late Victorian and Edwardian’s idea of masculinity was influenced by domesticity. Manliness was above all a moral attribute,

Throughout the 19th century, especially during the Victorian era, gender roles became very distinctive. There were certain characteristics that the ideal Victorian man or woman were expected to have which emphasized patriarchal superiority. The patriarchal system meant that males had dominance in their homes, specifically over women. The ideal man during this time period would focus on achieving job related success which, in turn, would show that he is an eligible suitor to get married. It was seen as important for the man to have a family to support and protect, which also gave him the opportunity to exercise authority within his household. While the men went off to work to provide for their families, the women stayed home to perform their motherly duties in addition to keeping busy around the house. It was expected of Victorian women to have feminine, graceful, and innocent attributes. In fact, before they found spouses, the ladies were taught to be pure and to have strong morals. Also, “higher education and professional work” were discouraged because it was thought that it “could lead to all sorts of covert rebellion” (Hughes). Although these gender roles were usually very distinctive, in some cases they became muddled. In the novel, Dracula, the author, Bram Stoker, contradicts Victorian Era principles to illustrate that socially constructed gender roles are not absolute.

Since the early 19th century, men have always been perceived as hard workers and providers. Think about the real manly man with a beard, overalls, and lumberjack shirt on that drank beer instead of water. Men were always supposed to be strong and emotionless. They were not supposed to cry or express their feelings. The idea of masculinity today has changed drastically from 50 years ago. There were times where men came off as hard asses, because of the way they were raised. Over the years society has found a new way and when society changes people change.

Sexuality is a fundamental aspect of being human all through life and includes gender identities, sex, and sexual orientation, roles, eroticism, intimacy, pleasure, and reproduction (Chapman, 2008). Sexuality is expressed and experienced in thoughts, ideas, fantasies, desires, manners, values, behaviors, roles, relationships and practices. Though sexuality can encompass all of these aspects, not all of them are for all time experienced or demonstrated (Hunter, 1992). It is influenced by the interface of biological, social, political, psychological, ethical, economic, cultural, historical, legal, spiritual and religious factors (Simoni & Walters, 2001). There

Lipman-Blumen’s definition introduces this “explicitly erotic sexual interaction” to signify homoeroticism. Homoeroticism is “erotic emotions centred on a person of the same sex” (Flood, 307). Flood omits any reference to homosexuality in his term (unlike Lipman-Blumen’s definition) but implies that homoeroticism may act as a secret desire “centred on a person”. This reinforces Thomas Gale’s term

Exploration of How Males are Presented in Victorian Short Stories Charles Dickens was a prominent author who wrote on the historical eighteenth century issues relevant to the Victorian context. He wrote the following short stories and novels, Captain Murderer, Sikes and Nancy and the Great Expectations. In these stories there are three comparable characters that I am going to compare and contrast. These characters are Captain Murderer (from Captain Murderer), Sikes (from Sikes and Nancy) and finally Magwitch (from Great Expectations). Additionally, I will also refer, where possible, to the historical and Victorian context within which they are written.

In most early British literature a woman is often presented as only one thing: an object. They can be objects of desire, objects of beauty, or merely objects to be owned, but it is rare that a woman is anything more than that. It is even more uncommon to find a female character in literature that is presented as an equal to the men around her. In William Congreve's The Way of the World he plays on the similarities of both his female and male characters to establish just how much of an issue gender really is because though their actions might be similar, the consequences are not.

Sexuality is an individual’s preference towards sexual interactions. It is an extremely controversial and debated topic that has emerged in the 21st century. Historically, sexuality was kept extremely private and it was not orthodox to speak of sexual encounters, sodomy being especially taboo. However, today sex and sexual orientation is more openly spoken about on both social media and well as every day conversations. Most people, including myself, have at least one or two people that don’t particularly identify themselves as heterosexual or cis-gendered. It is more commonplace for sexuality and sexual encounters to

John D’Emilio and Estelle Freedman wrote “A History of Sexuality in America” in the published book Intimate Matters. This source exposes the turning point in history where the definition of sexuality changed; the main practice of sexuality altered from primarily procreation or marriage to the definition of a relationship that was of emotional intimacy and physical

says Anthony Rotundo, attempting to define the boundaries between romantic friendship and erotic love, in relation to same gender friendships, in the late nineteenth century (Miller 4). Same gender relationships could exist on a physical level, expressing affection, without bringing up questions of sexual preference. Further, F.S. Ryman, a gentleman in his twenties, wrote of the very

The works of Thomas Hardy reflect the ideas of a man who was clearly obsessed with the issue of social class throughout his literary career. From his first novel, The Poor Man and the Lady (the very title of which indicates class differentiation), to his final work, Jude the Obscure, class issues are woven into every novel which Hardy wrote. Furthermore, his works are personal in the sense that they depict Hardy's own lifelong struggles with social mobility and the class structure as a whole throughout his life.

The Victorian era was a turning point for gender roles. Out with the old, complacent women of the century, and in with the “new woman.” Of course, this also means that the roles of men were changing. In Grant Allen’s The Type- Writer Girl, there are numerous depictions of the way Victorian masculinity is displayed. However, Allen does hold a preference for the more reserved supporters of the modern woman, over those who have held onto blatantly abrasive masculinity and gender roles. The character Romeo provides a fresh new take on what it means to be a man in the Victorian era, void of the traditional masculine elements that normally compile a man in this age. This argument will be composed of comparing these examples: Romeo against the Grand Vizier, Romeo against the “great author,” Sidney Trevelyan, and Romeo against the Anarchists.