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Questions about gender inequality in the 19th century
The oppression of women in literature
Women inequality in the 19th century in the united states essay
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There have been many advancements today that promote gender equality in America. Women, for the most part, have the same rights as men; however, due to the lack of knowledge of past gender inequalities, some people fail to recognize or are ignorant to the powerlessness women felt during the nineteenth century. As a result, they cannot fully comprehend the actions of female characters in Jane Austen’s novels; therefore, readers must realize that throughout Pride and Prejudice, women are powerless when compared to men in both political and social realms and are often forced to take actions which are demeaning or undesirable.
One example of the powerlessness of women in this novel is the fact that they are unable to introduce themselves to other people. Instead of being able to introduce her daughters herself to Mr. Bingley, Mrs. Bennet is at the whim of her husband. Mr. Bennet teases his wife by telling her, “You and the girls may go or you can send them by themselves”
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When Lydia runs off with Mr. Wickham, there is a large uproar about her not being married. Mary states to Elizabeth that they must learn from Lydia’s situation “that the loss of virtue in a female is irretrievable - that one false step involves her in endless ruin” (Austen 275). Because of Lydia’s silliness and folly, she is ruined. On the other hand, Mr. Wickham, because he is a man, comes out of the situation with his reputation hardly scathed. In fact, Lydia must marry Mr.Wickham in order to restore her family’s honor. Upon hearing the news of Lydia, Mr. Collins writes to the Bennets, “The death of your daughter would have been a blessing in comparison of this” (Austen 282). Mr. Collins expresses the opinion of the gentry by saying death would have been better than Lydia’s escapades because she loses her family’s honor and any chance of obtaining a good
This discrimination towards this sex was reinforced by the idea that women was made for man. Not only was this idea prevalent within society but it furthermore is resonated through the laws and documents the government put in place. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony fought to establish equality between both sexes within the nation. This is illustrated within the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions at Seneca Falls when these women stated, “The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object he establishment of an absolute tyranny over her.” This quote expresses the past of women rights and how from the beginning of time women have been seen as inferior to man. This furthermore resonated to express the idea that women were not only inferior but also a material object in a man’s life. Stanton and Anthony put a large emphasis into this ideal, making it their driving force into establishing women’s rights in America.
The function of women in politics, the economy, and communal events in American society moved significantly from the pre-Revolutionary war era to the early beginnings of the 20th century. In the years leading up to the American Revolution, women were looked upon as being “subordinate to males” and so as a result women were affected by the laws and regulations forced upon them by men. It was almost as if it was a woman’s right, to get married, have kids, and live out the obligation of being a thorough wife and mother. Because the government was mainly ruled and controlled by men, it was often that women didn’t have the lawful rights, for example the power to vote or be in possession of property.
Louisa May Alcott once said, “The emerging woman… will be strong-minded, strong-hearted, strong-souled, and strong-bodied… strength and beauty must go together.” American men and women in the late 1800s to the early 1900s were expected to occupy separate spheres of society, with men leading a public life at work, and women leading a domestic life at home. Free time for women was to be spent taking care of the family, not socializing or indulging in luxury for oneself. However, women throughout the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century began to break away from their designated spheres and established feminist ideals that are still present in modern society. These feminist values of strong, independent women can be observed in
...en endured throughout the Realist literary period. This oppression has evolved into strong female business figures. Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” shows the perceived inequality and inferiority of women throughout this era. This lies in contrast with strong, powerful female officials, such as Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Chopin’s The Awakening illustrates a literary attempt at women’s activism. Women’s activism is still present today, and is seen in the recent happenings at the Plymouth High School baseball and softball fields. Women have evolved past their positions as domestic keepers that were subordinate to men to active, equal members of society. Feminist literature has aided this evolution over the year. Women have overcome oppression through activism and garnered more rights since the termination of the Realist literary era.
Society continually places restrictive standards on the female gender not only fifty years ago, but in today’s society as well. While many women have overcome many unfair prejudices and oppressions in the last fifty or so years, late nineteenth and early twentieth century women were forced to deal with a less understanding culture. In its various formulations, patriarchy posits men's traits and/or intentions as the cause of women's oppression. This way of thinking diverts attention from theorizing the social relations that place women in a disadvantageous position in every sphere of life and channels it towards men as the cause of women's oppression (Gimenez). Different people had many ways of voicing their opinions concerning gender inequalities amound women, including expressing their voices and opinions through their literature. By writing stories such as Daisy Miller and The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Henry James let readers understand and develop their own ideas on such a serious topic that took a major toll in American History. In this essay, I am going to compare Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” to James’ “Daisy Miller” as portraits of American women in peril and also the men that had a great influence.
Overall, the value of the American Identity is found in literature such as The Awakening, A Streetcar Named Desire, and The Great Gatsby. Different historical events such as the Women’s Suffrage Movements define America as a male driven nation. These few evidences of many provide an explanation of how men came to control a lot of the activity in the nation and its impact. Currently, women are treated with more respect, have equal rights, and can do many of the things that men can do. However, there is still a great amount of gender inequality in many various aspects and it will remain that way because this nation has been male dominated since it’s independence. History and literature are two aspects of our nation’s cultures that have demonstrated the gender inequality and contributed to the strengthening of this male dominated society in the course of time.
However, while embracing the often axiomatic freedoms of today, women everywhere should take time to acknowledge the struggles of previous generations. If one were to delve into the history of early American society, they would surely discover a male-dominated nation where women were expected to tend to their kitchen rather than share the responsibility of high government. During this time, a woman was considered the property of her husband, and was to remain compliant and silent. Nevertheless, two brilliant writers, Lydia Marie Child and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, resolved to confront and address the oppression afflicting America’s women. Although these two women have different styles of writing, they both advocate similar contentions.
In “Declarations of Sentiments and Resolutions”, Elizabeth Cady Stanton describes a“history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman” to explain how women are treated unequally in society (Stanton). A few of the injuries she mentions includes women not being able to vote, not being held to same legal or moral standards as men, and being limited to subordinate roles in almost all aspects of everyday life including religion and civil life.
Lydia, Mr WIckham and Lady Catherine de Bourg have no self awareness and are unhappy in the novel. The marriage of Lydia and Mr Wickham is one of the unhappy marriages. Mr Wickham and Lydia are both very similar and are both unaware of their faults; they are both careless with money and see no problem with asking their relatives for money. Lydia as the youngest daughter is well accustomed to having other people look after her and she is dependent on other people. Lydia’s lack of self awareness doesn’t affect her greatly; she is happy and claims that she loves Wickham. She is very fond of him but he is not fond of her and quickly loses interest, “Wickham’s affection for Lydia, was just what Elizabeth had expected to find it; not equal to Lydia’s for him.” Lady Catherine de Bourg has no self knowledge. She is full of herself and sees herself very highly; it is obvious she is lacks self knowledge. She makes discourteous comments about other people without thought to their opinions and she also enunciates comments about how she views herself. Lady Catherine de Bourg is unhappy because she is disappointed ...
Throughout history, women have been oppressed and seen as subservient to men. Gender differences denied women the right to education, among many factors that men had. Women lived their lives to be wives and mothers while men went to school, held careers, interests passions and individual lives outside of the homes women so rarely left. Mary Wollstonecraft expressed her abhorrence for this injustice in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Later in the same year of 1792, Anna Barbauld responded by attacking Wollstonecraft with her “The Rights of Woman.” Both women present a clear, though opposing argument allowing the reader further insight of the oppression plaguing women in the late eighteenth century.
During the 1800s, society believed there to be a defined difference in character among men and women. Women were viewed simply as passive wives and mothers, while men were viewed as individuals with many different roles and opportunities. For women, education was not expected past a certain point, and those who pushed the limits were looked down on for their ambition. Marriage was an absolute necessity, and a career that surpassed any duties as housewife was practically unheard of. Jane Austen, a female author of the time, lived and wrote within this particular period. Many of her novels centered around women, such as Elizabeth Bennet of Pride and Prejudice, who were able to live independent lives while bravely defying the rules of society. The roles expected of women in the nineteenth century can be portrayed clearly by Jane Austen's female characters of Pride and Prejudice.
The 18th and 19th centuries were eras of revolution and reform. The American Revolutionary War and its outcome finalized America’s freedom from Great Britain, and the new nation of America began to take form. This was a time of new rights, freedoms and life under American society and rule. Yet, not all people within America’s borders got to reap the full benefits of the Revolutionary War. Many minorities did not gain much from or after the war, because of discrimination, racism, fear, or standards set by the white men of America. One of these minorities was infact women. No matter what age, race or status of women during these centuries, they still did not have or gain their full freedoms. After the American Revolutionary War, women did not
In this paper, I will explain and analyze Mary Wollstonecraft’s opinions and writings on gender inequality. Primarily, I will discuss her ideas on the current role of women in her society and the status that she feels they should be able to elevate themselves to. She also discusses the perception of women in her society, and I will show how she relates this perception to the perpetuation of gender injustice. Furthermore, I will evaluate the legitimacy and significance of the claim that societal norms dictate a woman’s role in the world as a mother and wife. She makes this point in her publication “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects”. Wollstonecraft also references how the writings of previous
Over the centuries, women’s duties or roles in the home and in the work force have arguably changed for the better. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen teaches the reader about reputation and loves in the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries by showing how Elizabeth shows up in a muddy dress, declines a marriage proposal and how women have changed over time. Anything a woman does is reflected on her future and how other people look at her. When Elizabeth shows up to the Bingley’s in a muddy dress they categorize her as being low class and unfashionable. Charles Bingley, a rich attractive man, and his sister had a reputation to protect by not letting their brother marry a ‘low class girl’. Reputation even today and back in the nineteenth century is still very important aspect in culture. In the twenty-first century, women have attempted to make their lives easier by wanting to be more equal with the men in their society. Women are wanting to be the apart of the ‘bread winnings’ efforts within a family. Since evolving from the culture of the nineteenth century, women have lost a lot of family and home making traditions but women have gained equality with more rights such as voting, working, and overall equal rights. In the twenty-first century world, most women are seen for losing their morals for and manners for others. As for example in the novel when Mr. Darcy is talking badly about Elizabeth she over hears what he and his friend, Mr. Bingley, are saying about her but she does not stand up for herself.
In the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries, the idea of patriarchy ruled the many societies all over the world. Particularly in Britain, its “overarching patriarchal model” (Marsh) had “reserved power and privilege for men” (Marsh). Also during this time period feminist literature began to arise and was invaded by, “the complex social, ethical, and economic roots of sexual politics… as testimony to gender bias and the double standard” (“Sexual Politics and Feminist Literature”). In Jane Austen’s writing, readers have been aware of her constant themes of female independence and gender equality. However, many have criticized the author for the fact that many of her “individualistic” female characters have ended up