Separate Spheres Of Women In The 21st Century

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Have you ever asked yourself, what it means to be a woman? In the 21st century, women are allowed to be whoever they want to be. They can be vulnerable or cold-hearted, patient or anxious, flirtatious or modest. Women are often identified as independent, smart and creative human beings with an intricate mentality and complex thoughts. Women have the right to pursue a high-quality education and get a University degree in any field of interest. There is no discrepancy between male and female workers in large international corporations in terms of social position or salary. In today’s modern world, women have freedom of speech and their rights are protected legally by the Constitution. However, this is not always the case as you will see …show more content…

The society of that time inherited the ideology of the “Separate Spheres” based on the natural characteristics of the male and female gender. Biologically, women are created weaker than men in terms of physical strength. However, the female gender is considered to be morally superior and more rational which made society think that women are best suited to perform domestic duties. They were unable to participate in the public sphere where their male counterparts belonged to. This was initially used as a great excuse for taking away their right to write or vote.
Women were not legally allowed to study in post-secondary institutions in Europe until 1848. However, women were still required to study basic academic subjects and visual arts to prepare themselves for the future role of “Angel in the House.” It was important for a wealthy middle-class young lady to attract potential husbands with various artistic skills and outstanding comportment during the official celebrations. In Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte Bronte points out the main skills that every gifted young lady should have in order to be considered feminine and attractive for young …show more content…

However, they were not allowed to speak to an unknown man during the official meeting unless an older married woman was present as a chaperone. They were expected to be calm and obedient in order to submit to the needs and expectation of their parents. Because of this, many ladies suffered from severe mental disorders like hysteria and panic attacks. Some of them used their illness to justify rebellious behaviour and be able to dedicate themselves to writing and academic studies. In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte once more points out the extreme expectations of wealthy families on young girls since their early adolescence: “Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags” (Bronte,

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