More handpicked essays just for you.
The portrayal of women in 19th century literature
Society in the importance of being earnest
Gender roles throughout literature
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The portrayal of women in 19th century literature
Similar to Clara, I am going to talk about Vivie breaking stereotypes. However, I want to specifically talk about Vivie breaking Victorian gender-conventions. I want to show that Vivie, while she certainly makes me mad with her lack of empathy, is an empowered woman.
The first piece of evidence I see for Vivie breaker gender conventions is when she shakes the hand of George Crofts. He says, after shaking her hand, that “She has a powerful fist” (Shaw 1789). Here, Crofts shows that he expects the handshake of a “lady” to be soft; yet is is taken aback when Vivie gives a strong handshake. This, according to Victorian (and even modern) gender conventions, is masculine. Vivie, then, breaks the gender convention by stepping outside what she is
I noticed many scenes where the background male dancers for Victoria during her performances, did very feminine dance movements. A great example of a scene where the director uses gender based non-verbal messages would be when the director, off camera, cues Julie Andrews to throw her hands up after removing her wig at the end of her first performance. In my opinion, her throwing her hands up was a way of solidifying the audience's perspective of her being a man.
Mill’s and Nightingale’s work both have the main theme of men dominating over women. Mill introduces his work with, “the principle which regulates the existing social relations between the two sexes — the legal subordination of one sex to the other — is wrong in itself…and it ought to be replaced by a principle of perfect equality” (Mill 1156), letting the reader know his stance on the issue right away. Nightingale’s article also starts off with a strong statement in the form of a question. She wonders why women are given such useful gifts if utilizing them is socially unacceptable: “Why have women passion, intellect, moral activity...and a place in society where no one of the three can be exercised?” (Nightingale 1734). Although these works both have the same thread running through them, they place the blame for the occurrence in different places.
In the Victorian era, in New York City, men and women roles within the society were as different as night and day. A man regardless of his extra curricular activities could still maintain a very prevalent place in society. A woman’s worth was not only based family name which distinguished her class and worth, but also her profession if that was applicable.
During the Victorian Era, society had idealized expectations that all members of their culture were supposedly striving to accomplish. These conditions were partially a result of the development of middle class practices during the “industrial revolution… [which moved] men outside the home… [into] the harsh business and industrial world, [while] women were left in the relatively unvarying and sheltered environments of their homes” (Brannon 161). This division of genders created the ‘Doctrine of Two Spheres’ where men were active in the public Sphere of Influence, and women were limited to the domestic private Sphere of Influence. Both genders endured considerable pressure to conform to the idealized status of becoming either a masculine ‘English Gentleman’ or a feminine ‘True Woman’. The characteristics required women to be “passive, dependent, pure, refined, and delicate; [while] men were active, independent, coarse …strong [and intelligent]” (Brannon 162). Many children's novels utilized these gendere...
James’ character did what most rebellious young American women would do. She broke free from cultural restrictions and lived her life as she pleased. A woman of passion, she chose to ignore the repressive attitudes of those around her. Women of today are still fighting for equality, but have authors of the past and women like the characters in their stories to thank for the improvements they made.
In the Victorian age, the idea of separate spheres was an integral part of society. Men’s roles involved participation in the marketplace of the industrial society. Women, on the other hand, were expected to remain in the domestic sphere. They were assigned subordinate, and often passive roles, whereas men played direct roles in an industrial society, therefore being active agents.
Masculine traits especially in the character Jane Eyre are what cause the novel Jane Eyre to be a forward thinking book in the terms of female empowerment. “Jane’s somber appearance, reflective of the lesson in androgyny given by Brocklehurst, boasts none of the pampered adornment of Jane’s coquettish rival, Blanche Ingram, or Jane’s highly feminine pupil, Adele” which adds to the masculinity of her character and definitely separating her from the rest of females in society (Godfrey 858). Jane Eyre is portrayed as a rather androgynous, if not masculine,
Lord Tennyson’s “The Woman’s Cause is Man’s” in itself is a manifestation of such issues going on during the Victorian period. As described by Henderson and Sharpe, “The Woman’s Cause is Man’s” is an excerpt from Tennyson’s “The Princess, in which the feminist heroine gives up her feminst ideals and beliefs to settle down and get married (p. 1203). This is a mirror image in itself of the challenge to woman’s roles within Victorian Society. The traditional roles of women as wife and mother were vigorously debated, yet still conformed to, since even “[powerful] proponents
The portrayal of women throughout the history of literature has changed greatly over the years. The once elegant, quiet, and helpless damsels in distress has changed into strong independent women who try to speak their mind and fight for themselves, just as any male would. More modern writers try to weave many of these modern ideals of women with all its complexity into cohesive, interesting and even awe-inspiring heroines both on film and in novels. And many times, these same ideals of intelligence, strength, and complexity are even implemented in villainous female characters. However, not all writers would feel this way about modern female characters. Famous writers such as Charles Dickens had a different set of ideals for women that
...them. The” Women’s Movement,” was on a start but definitely making changes for recognition of the female race. During the reign of Queen Victoria, a woman's place was considered to be in the home. Then the mood changed, as charitable missions began to extend the female role of service, and Victorian feminism began to emerge as a potent political force.
Gorham, Deborah. A. A. The Victorian Girl and the Feminine Ideal. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1982. Martineau, Harriet.
In conclusion, the theme of crime and punishment in the novel becomes evident in the portrayal of these characters. None of the presently discussed characters fulfill the ideals of a Victorian woman, as they reveal undesirable traits such as being dominant and cold-hearted. Therefore, they are condemned as committing a moral crime by not conforming to Victorian values, and are consequently dehumanized and depicted in a reproachful way. Thus, it is conveyed that women who challenge the Victorian norm are immoral and unfeminine, a crime which seemingly can be reversed by punishment.
But at the same time, Victorian men were putting women on pedestals. Yet, this privilege of being put upon a pedestal was really more condescension than a privilege. Duncan Crow, author of The Victorian Woman writes, "They were not privileges at all, but a code of prison rules; and the women were not queens, ...
In Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, the female protagonists of the play, Beatrice and Hero, and Blanche and Stella, are submitted to battles against misogyny. Unlike the stereotypically submissive Elizabethan woman, Beatrice is ready to be ‘a man’ (Act 4.1.315) for the sake of her wronged cousin Hero and duel against ‘Count Comfit’ (Act 4.1.314). Blanche, while fighting against Stanley as ‘he advances’ (Scene Three, page 41) towards, and hurt, Stella, became relatable to a modern day audience when fighting against Domestic Violence. These women challenge the status quo of their eras, whether it is effective or not.
In conclusion, David Lodge managed to embody the concrete term of feminism. Through the character of Robyn Penrose, he creates the breakup of the traditional Victorian image of woman.“ `There are lots of things I wouldn 't do. I wouldn 't work in a factory. I wouldn 't work in a bank. I wouldn 't be a housewife. When I think of most people 's lives, especially women 's lives, I don 't know how they bear it. ' `Someone has to do those jobs, ' said Vic. `That 's what 's so depressing. ' ”(Lodge