“Cassandra” is about Florence Nightingale’s effort to overcome her frustration of discrimination of sexism, as well as how she is affected by such a judicious and dictated society, and how her representation of women’s rights helped evolve the outlook of women during the Victorian Era.
In the excerpt “Cassandra” by Florence Nightingale, Nightingale directs the passage toward the tragic condition in which women lived in the nineteenth century. In the excerpt, the character “Cassandra” is compared to those women of Ancient Greek. In comparing the ancient Greek prophet in which was forbidden to say what she wished to an audience of disbelief, just as Cassandra struggled to be heard during the Victorian Era. (Shaddock)
The Victorian period in England was from 1837 to 1901. During this time people witnessed many polarized gender based roles, that were analyzed upon the different expectations of both men and women, this was known as the ideology of separate spheres. The ideology of separate spheres states “men possessed the capacity for reason, action, aggression, independence, and self-interest. Women inhabited a separate sphere, private sphere, one suitable for the so called inherent qualities of feminist: emotion, passivity, submission, dependence, and selflessness, all derived, it was claimed insistently, form women’s sexual and reproduction organization.”
("Women as “the Sex” During the Victorian Era")
The excerpt can sometimes be read in such a way that it seems as if the writer is screaming as opposed to talking in a calmly matter. This was probably due to the fact that Nightingale was infuriated with the way women were being treated. “Cassandra” is a discussion or dialogue between two sisters and their mother and father dis...
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...way they wished to live their lives. This being said, Florence Nightingale was just one of many author’s whose words and writing helped change the outlook on women everywhere.
Works Cited:
Bostridge, Mark. "Women of the World Unite." The Guardian.com. N.p., 28 January 2005. Web. 4 Apr 2014. .
Shaddock, Jennifer. "Florence Nightingale." Project Muse. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr 2014. .
"Florence Nightingale, Cassandra (1852) on women's vocation." . N.p.. Web. 4 Apr 2014. .
"Women as “the Sex” During the Victorian Era." Victorian Women:The Gender of Oppression. N.p.. Web. 4 Apr 2014. .
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...
Upon hearing the term, “The Victorian Woman,” it is likely that one’s mind conjures up an image of a good and virtuous woman whose life revolved around the domestic sphere of the home and family, and who demonstrated a complete devotion to impeccable etiquette as well as to a strong moral system. It is certainly true that during Victorian England the ideal female was invested in her role as a wife and a mother, and demonstrated moral stability and asexuality with an influence that acted as her family’s shield to the intrusions of industrial life. Yet despite the prevalence of such upstanding women in society, needless to say not all women lived up to such a high level of moral aptitude. Thus, we must beg the question, what became of the women who fell far short from such a standard? What became of the women who fell from this pedestal of the ideal Victorian woman, and by way of drunkenness, criminality, or misconduct became the negation of this Victorian ideal of femininity?
Tatiana de Rosnay’s Sarah’s Key, though speaking about a particularly touchy subject, identifies feminist/ gender equality through a series of historical hardships that many had endured during the Holocaust. Keeping this in mind, Sarah’s Key is used for Mrs. Rosnay’s approval of the advances of feminism, and how women were limited by a low glass ceiling.
The industrialization of the nineteenth century was a tremendous social change in which Britain initially took the lead on. This meant for the middle class a new opening for change which has been continuing on for generations. Sex and gender roles have become one of the main focuses for many people in this Victorian period. Sarah Stickney Ellis was a writer who argued that it was the religious duty of women to improve society. Ellis felt domestic duties were not the only duties women should be focusing on and thus wrote a book entitled “The Women of England.” The primary document of Sarah Stickney Ellis’s “The Women of England” examines how a change in attitude is greatly needed for the way women were perceived during the nineteenth century. Today women have the freedom to have an education, and make their own career choice. She discusses a range of topics to help her female readers to cultivate their “highest attributes” as pillars of family life#. While looking at Sarah Stickney Ellis as a writer and by also looking at women of the nineteenth century, we will be able to understand the duties of women throughout this century. Throughout this paper I will discuss the duties which Ellis refers to and why she wanted a great change.
Peterson, M. Jeanne. "The Victorian Governess: Status Incongruence in Family and Society." Suffer and Be Still: Women in the Victorian Age. Ed. Martha Vicinus. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1973.
Two hundred years ago, during the reign of Queen Victoria in England, the social barriers of the Victorian class system firmly defined the roles of women. The families of Victorian England were divided into four distinct classes: the Nobility or Gentry Class, the Middle Class, the Upper Working Class, and lastly, the Lower Working class . The women of these classes each had their own traditional responsibilities. The specifics of each woman’s role were varied by the status of her family. Women were expected to adhere to the appropriate conventions according to their place in the social order . For women in Victorian England their lives were regulated by these rules and regulations, which stressed obedience, loyalty, and respect.
Florence Nightingale is a very prominent person in the medical field. She had a strong desire to devote her life to helping others. She is known as the founder of modern medicine. The Nightingale Pledge is taken by new nurses and was named in her honor. The annual International Nurses Day is celebrated on her birthday. Without her contributions healthcare would not be what it is today.
Nightingale and others helped create the modern rights and responsibilities for the nursing field, and the healthcare field in general. Rights and responsibilities are the things that are set out to ensure activities are completed in a safe manner. Without Nightingale, or Clara Barton, the rights and responsibilities of nurses would likely be different and the practice of medicine would potentially do more harm than good.
"The Victorian Era." History of Human Sexuality in Western Culture. Word Press, n.d. Web. 03 Jan. 2014.
“Current views concerning Victorian femininity continued to be dominated by the 19th century concept of domestic purity and the association figure of the ideal woman, the ‘angle in the house’, carrying out her mission as wife, mother and daughter” (Swisher). During this era men had ...
In conclusion, the woman of the Victorian Era had her role in life planned out from before she was born. Although it was a dreadful role these women carried it out in a way that shows their purity of the heart and willingness to do so many of things for others and for little return. They were truly a remarkable testament to hard work and ingenuity of the time that even the men of the time could have learned from.
To “be a lady” in Victorian times, women had to repress their “instincts,” meaning that they must not have sex. Lead by the “cult of true womanhood,” which dictated piety, purity and submissiveness in women, females were directed to become almost asexual. Women went into sexuality thinking that it was something not to be talked about, that women were not supposed to have a libido, and that the act of sexual intercourse was not something that they should enjoy.
The Victorian era was an extremely difficult time for women in Great Britain. They were subject to gross inequalities such as, not being able to; control their own earnings, education, and marriage. As well as having a lack of equality within marriage, women had poor working conditions, and an immense unemployment rate as well. Not only was the fact that women were viewed as second-class citizens and had limited rights compared to men during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries a major problem, but women were also held to a much different standard, and expected to carry out many
... for her reforms, she once said that "To understand God's thoughts, we must study statistics, for these are the measure of his purpose." (Kopf, pg. 77) Florence Nightingale brought together statistics and her good heart to become a very important role model for the women in Europe in her time.
However, her shyness didn’t interfere with her willingness to help others. Being the youngest of three, her opinion and beliefs were often overlooked as she was expected to follow in the footsteps of those before her; find a husband, reproduce and spend the rest of her life serving them. Although that sounds grand, Florence responded with “I think I am got something more good-natured and complying.” Nightingale belonged to an upper class family, her mother Francis Nightingale, belonged to a family of merchants who took pride in their social interactions with those of the same stature. This however was completely opposite of Florence Nightingale and because of it, they often found themselves bumping heads with one another. However, her father, William Shore Nightingale encouraged her