Victorian Women In The Victorian Era

Women have become liberated and successful. Instead of women being forced to marry who their father says or be obedient to a man they are versatile. Women are able to do as they please. “In 1604, a law was passed that allowed men and women to marry without parents’ consent (Elizabethan Era).” This wasn’t women’s only issue; they weren’t allowed to receive the proper educations or the right to vote. Women realized the only way to get equality and proper treatment was to fight. The fight began with the first Women’s Rights Convention which held in 1848 (Women’s Rights). “In this convention, men and women signed a document – “A Declaration of Sentiments”, which constituted of resolutions that were adopted for the eradication of discrimination against women in all realms of society” (Women’s Rights). In 1869, the fifteenth amendment resulted in the movement for women's rights which gained them even more supporters (Women’s Rights). The twentieth century is when things changed dramatically for women. The 19th amendment was passed which gave women the right to vote. “Also, women could own and look after property, with a mutual agreement with their husbands (Women’s Rights). In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed to eliminate sex discrimination in the work place (Women’s Rights). In 1978, rights were given to pregnant women that helped them to maintain their jobs, without experiencing discrimination (Women’s Rights). Other laws were passed for pension rights for women, especially for widows and divorcées (Women’s Rights). Women have been through a lot to get to where they are

In Victorian England, women were expected to care for their family and can’t get jobs what men have. In Jane Eyre, Jane wants to leave Lowood and start a new life by being a governess and teaching children. In the novel, Jane places her job to be a governess for a private

During the Victorian period, upper and middle class men and women existed in different spheres of life: the private sphere, and the public sphere. The private sphere, which included taking care of the home, entertaining guests, and raising children was dominated by women. Meanwhile men were superior in the public sphere, where they took part in politics and business. This lead to the archetypes of women being fragile and motherly, controlled by their emotions, and of men being rational and strong. Social norms, supported by laws, viewed women as “relative creatures” that were below men in the natural hierarchy and only defined in reference to men. These two ideas towards women created a gap of equality for women and constricted them to their sphere of domesticity. The suffrage movement, followed by the first and second waves of feminism gave rise to many civil rights for women, narrowing the gap of inequality. The quest for equality continues today, as these two spheres begin to merge, due to the rise in social media and the subsequent decreasing private life, and women gain more influence in the public sphere. While the forms of inequality are different and an issue for both genders, the Victorian ideas are still present and prominent today.

Although workplace equality usually doesn’t dominate the headline, recently debate resurfaced regarding the gender pay gap which has been drawing attention.

This study takes a look at the wage gap between women and men. It has always been known that men make more money than women. Many acts of legislation have been passed to address the disparities. But as time has progressed this topic is not one that grasps the attention of society. Society feels that there are other more important topics to focus on. The inequities amongst men and women pay has been in effect from the early 1800s and continues on in the new millennium despite, the gains women have made. And unfortunately the millennium women have many challenges that still lie ahead. This study has shown the transition from the early 1800s up until now and in the 21st century we are still dealing with inequities when it

Wealthy and poor women in Victorian England ate lunch only, since the men were out at work. While the men were out, the women drank “unladylike” things such as beer, ale, and cider with their food at bars. After more industries were introduced to England, the working class men got jobs at factories. These factories were further from home, so the men worked longer, stayed up later, and ate dinner later. The wealthy men and women also got home late to eat dinner, but it was not because they were out working, but because they were out partying. Gas lamps soon came out, and this helped the wealthy to stay up even later than they already did. Others followed their examples, so dinner was pushed back again to eight or nine at

Nowadays, women are more independent. Ever since the 19th amendment passed, women were able to vote. This was one of the first steps that helped women get to where they are today. Voting has allowed women to speak their minds. It was the first step to prove that both men and women deserve to be equal. It was soon more socially acceptable for women to choose their own paths. Men no longer were able to legally dictate their lives. For example, not too long ago, a women needed a man to sign for permission whenever she wanted to open a bank account or purchase a car. Now, women do not have to worry about this as it isn 't a concern anymore. Women are now allowed to buy new homes and property without having to be married. This allows

She was quite possibly the exact opposite of the ideal Victorian woman, who was quiet and refined, and tried to avoid causing trouble for her husband. Because of her bad behavior and congenital madness, she finds herself locked in her husband’s attic for 10 years, only able to leave when the woman charged with caring for her becomes intoxicated. She may also show the silencing of women in the Victorian era, as she is never able to give her own account of the events leading up to her marriage and locking away. A final character example for how defying gender roles can have consequences is Jane herself. While she doesn’t necessarily go against her role, she does refuse to marry Rochester when she discovers that he is married, and when discussing it with Rochester she says “All is changed about me, sir; I must change too—there is no doubt of that; and to avoid fluctuations of feeling, and continual combats with recollections and associations, there is only one way—Adele must have a new governess, sir”

In addition to being a good wife and raising their children, women today have other opportunities. Women are involved in politics, they can own property, they are allowed to start their own career, and finally they can express their opinion without any restrictions.

We certainly can’t pick our families, though I am sure many of us have had thoughts of what life would be like if we were born into a different lifestyle. While your ascribed status is the status you were born into, your achieved status is what you achieve during your life. Oftentimes people will let their circumstances dictate what they become, but those striving to attain a higher status will usually find a way to change their circumstances if possible.

Daphne Du Maurier and Charlotte Brontë present their narrators as a stereotypical representation of females during Victorian period. Throughout history the archetypes of the heroine have vastly changed from being dependant victims to independent strong females. Jane Eyre and the narrator are both oppressed by patriarchy, where men were the makers and enforcers of social and political rules. The unnamed narrator and Jane could be seen as a microcosm of their respective societies, as females were demarcated as “timid”, “dependent” (AQA Critical Anthology) unlike males who were physically and mentally strong. Both Brontë and Du Maurier instantly evoke sympathy for the characters by representing them as weak, indecisive and timid through;

Gender role has always been prevalent in society. No matter what part of the world or culture a person looks at, there will always be a specific code in which these genders have to conform to. As expected in the Victorian Era’s strict codes of conduct, much emphasis was put on gender roles. In the Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde effectively uses gender role reversal to reveal the faults in the Victorian Era.

It is imperative to note that principles formulated and expressed within the Victorian era have proven to be of crucial influence, as these past attached values however deleterious, remain ingrained in the social ethics and morals of today. The augmentation of industrialisation and imperial expansion consequently greatened the middle class and generated frontier violence, thereby constructing the ideology of the separate spheres of gender. This division fabricated the notions of how each gender should be positioned in a societal sense, as men were deemed to be the breadwinners, dominant forces engaging in physical labour to support the family, while females were the predominantly private gender, bound to undertaking household duties: cooking,

Though some people find it to be arguable subject, Jane is a symbol of feminism for the Victorian era, as this time was ruled by men and women were given much simpler tasks or duties. As for their education, women were given classes on how to be good wives and ladies, instead of being taught literature or math. An intellectual woman, or rather a governess were looked down upon as Jane was,

During the Victorian Era, the women’s role in society was to take care of their homes and impress upon their children fine and acceptable morals that were to be used in society as they grew older.  According to an Article from victorian-era.org,  “The only duty cast upon a Victorian woman was to keep her husband happy and raise her children for which they groomed right from their childhood days.”   Women were there to make sure nurture and take care of their family. When a woman's husband died their duties were not really required and there was only so much that they could do because rights and privileges of victorian women were limited.