Monday, June 23, 2008

Victorian Ladies and Gentlemen

Men and women during the Victorian age had specific role during this time. Middle class women were the ones who managed the household, and men managed business and things that pertained outside of the home. Men and women did not have equal opportunities to go to school. It was more important for men to go to school not really for intellect but to help improve character (555). Women’s right did not exist, and basically women’s duty then was to take care of their own men. According to the book, “They could not work outside the home; they could not vote; they had no legal rights, even over their own children; they could not attend university or enter the professions”
(556). There were women such as Florence Nightingale who did not believe in this and tried to make a career outside the home. On the other hand there were women like Sarah Ellis who accepted the fact that women needed to stay in their place, and just wanted for her family and herself to be happy. There were different out looks on the roles of women during these times. Things have completely changed since then in our society, because women are now seen taking over companies, working outside the home, and we are also now allowed to vote.

3 comments:

Jonathan.Glance said...

Thao,

OK comments and generalizations, but the only passage you quote is from the editor's notes, and you only mention a few of the authors by name, but scarcely provide any analysis or discussion of them. I do like the way you bring the post back to the present situation of society, but once again more specificity would have made the post better.

Michelle said...

I agree with the statement that things have changed in todays society. Womens rights have come a long way. Its seems evident however, that there might be a slow down in drive women initially took to climbing the ladder in a career outside the home. The ideals behind victorian ways, where the women stay home and care for the house is making a come back!

Samantha Simon said...

It does suck that women and men didn't have equal opportunities. I hate the fact that gender roles were and are still, to a certain extent, very strict. That is something that society really needs to change.