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Treatment of women in renaissance and middle ages
The Representation of Women in Romantic Literature
Treatment of women in renaissance and middle ages
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Women in the Romantic Era Women in the Romantic era were long away from being treated as equals, they were expected by society to find a husband and become a typical housewife and mother. So what happens when women get tired of being treated horribly and try to fight back towards getting men to treat them as an equal? Both Mary Robinson’s “The Poor Singing Dame” and Anna Barbauld’s “The Rights of Women” show great examples on how women in the Romantic Era were disrespected and degraded by men, whereas all they wanted was to be treated as equals with respect and dignity. Women were harassed for doing the smallest thing wrong or for doing something that simply made a man angry. For example in “the Great Singing Dame” the happy woman got …show more content…
This is exactly what happens in “The Rights of Women” where it states “Then, abandon each ambitious thought, Conquest or rule thy heart shall feebly move, In Nature 's school, by her soft maxims taught,”(Barbauld, Lines 29-31). All women wanted was to be treated like and as equals to men in society like it states in the poem,“That separate rights are lost in mutual love.”(Robinson, Line …show more content…
Women felt like they were being confined almost like in a jail, since they were stuck in the house, hidden away from society. Just like in the “Poor Singing Dame” the poor woman got thrown in jail where she died just because she would not stop expressing her feeling of happiness even though she was not wealthy. “Yes, injured Woman! rise, assert thy right! Woman! too long degraded, scorned, opprest; O born to rule in partial Law 's despite” (Barbauld, Lines 1-3) and “He sent his bold yeomen with threats to prevent her, And still would she carol her sweet roundelay; At last, an old steward relentless he sent her- Who bore her, all trembling, to prison away!”(Robinson, Lines 36-40). This shows that women started to feel like they needed to tell men to step aside from their role as rulers and leaders in society, and instead accept that women can rule just as good as any
Throughout history, women have struggled with, and fought against, oppression. They have been held back and weighed down by the sexist ideas of a male dominated society which has controlled cultural, economic and political ideas and structures. During the mid-1800’s to early 1900’s women became more vocal and rebuked sexism and the role that had been defined for them. Fighting with the powerful written word, women sought a voice, equality amongst men and an identity outside of their family. In many literary writings, especially by women, during the mid-1800’s to early 1900’s, we see symbols of oppression and the search for gender equality in society.
We have grown as humans so it is not so bad, but in “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning we can see the restriction that women had to endure. “I know not how-as if she ranked my gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name with anybody’s gift.” (Browning 1335) The Duke did not treat her like a human being he treated her like an object, a prize that he won that can only smile for him. She must hold him first above everything and everyone. A women’s livelihood is always threatened by a controlling man, her free will is nonexistent. “I gave commands then all smiles stopped together. There she stands as if alive.” (Browning 1335) The Duke is a key example of an overprotective man who feels that women are nothing but objects that can be used for his benefit. He killed her because he felt she was being too friendly to other people and since she wouldn’t listen to his commands killing her would be the only way to have her to himself because of the portrait he has of
Women, in general, were expected to be able to run their homes, taking care of their spouses and children in whatever form was needed at the time. They were looked down on as uneducated without the ability to understand the more intricate knowledge of politics and the running of businesses of any kind. They had no rights except for what they received from the graciousness of their husbands. Their opinions did not matter, in the long run and they were treated as inferior, expected to stay in their place unquestioning and unassuming.
For centuries, women have struggled in the fight to gain equality with men. Despite the major advances in civil and political rights, society still has a long way to go in addressing the issue of gender inequality. One major factor that prevents society from achieving gender equality is the idea that marriage is a women’s ultimate life goal. This notion has been significantly presented in literature causing women to appear less powerful than men, more specifically, in the fairly tales “Cinderella, or the little Glass Slipper” by Charles Perrault and “Ash Girl” by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. The stereotypical depiction of women only being ambitious toward marriage has led to women being inferior to men.
Women have always been large part life. In fact, they are the ones that keep it going which is why some argue that women should be greatly respected. This idea has been around since the beginning of time, but unfortunately they have been treated the exact opposite and it was not up to the 1850’s that women got their rights. Before this time they were used as tools and had no say in anything important. It did not matter if they were smart or not nor did it matter if they beautiful or ugly, they were always lower than men. Voltaire uses Cunegonde, the old woman, and Paquette to show their mistreatment and the mistreatment of all women. They were raped and abused regardless of their wealth or political stance. These characters are not very complex
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.
Hi, I think was so disrespectful that medieval women were obligated to held unwanted attitudes such as the Common law and the Cannon law. The common law visualized married women as properties.So, the fact was that women' properties trespassed to their spouses right after getting married. So, medieval married women had no authorities over their own properties. Even more they could not dispute about this law because that was a social norm in the Middle Ages and it must be respected. In the case of the Canon law this affected women societal attitudes due to regulations established by the Cristian authorities and gave power to husbands.For instance, according to the Cristian church's position on this matter was followed the Biblical texts of
Women were perceived as either being a housewife, a nurturer, or a person for company. They did not have the right to vote till later on, work, and if they had an opinion that a male do not agree with, women are considered “wicked”; not savvy, not prudent but wicked to the core. It is unfair, unethical, atrocious, but through it all there was one female who dared to challenge the mind of men and the notion that women can be more than what men perceive them as being. Her name is Margaret Fuller. The goals of Margaret Fuller were precise. Men should realize that women are not an epitome of a statue but human beings, just as men, women can achieve full adulthood and citizenship, but most vitally Margaret aimed to change the assumptions about
In the analysis of the issue in question, I have considered Mary Wollstonecraft’s Text, Vindication of the Rights of Woman. As an equivocal for liberties for humanity, Wollstonecraft was a feminist who championed for women rights of her time. Having witnessed devastating results or men’s improvidence, Wollstonecraft embraced an independent life, educated herself, and ultimately earned a living as a writer, teacher, and governess. In her book, “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,” she created a scandal perhaps to her unconventional lifestyle. The book is a manifesto of women rights arguing passionately for educating women. Sensualist and tyrants appear right in their endeavor to hold women in darkness to serve as slaves and their plaything. Anyone with a keen interest in women rights movement will surely welcome her inexpensive edition, a landmark documen...
Women in the 19th century were not treated much better than property. A woman had absolutely no rights. She was not her own person, she was the person that everybody else expected her to be. Women did not have any power over the man in a public or private setting They were treated as property and were supposed to do as the man said. Also, women were not allowed to have jobs, and expected to keep to the house and raise the children. While today it is harder to comprehend the treatment of women in the 19th century Henrik Ibsen does an amazing job portraying this in his drama, A Doll House, with one of the main characters Nora.
Since the beginning of time, women have strived to achieve an equal status in society. The vast majority of women have rebelled against the norm for equal status. As if washing the dirt off one’s hands, women are forgotten for all of their achievements. The identity of women in the Western world has evolved from domesticity and servility, and moved toward their valuation as individuals of intellect, talent, and independence. The culture about women’s empowerment has been reflected in literature and history throughout many ages.
Evaluate and respond to the presentations of women in the Romantic period. Feel free to discuss presentations of women, by women (such as Austen’s Persuasion) as well as presentations of women by men (such as the “she” in Byron’s “She Walks in Beauty”). Consider the following questions: are these presentations problematic? What do they tell us about the values and briefs of the Romantic Period? Do any of these presentations subvert (complicate, or call into questions) the time’s notions of femininity?
This is perfectly show in, “The Rights of Women” where it states, “Then, then, abandon each ambitious thought, Conquest or rule thy heart shall feebly move, In Nature 's school, by her soft maxims taught,”(Barbauld, Lines 29-31). All women wanted was to be treated as equals to men in society like it states in the poem, “That separate rights are lost in mutual love.”(Barbauld, Line 32). Robinson is trying to show that if women try to rule in their place in society in the Romantic Era will not let it last long, woman’s love towards the opposite gender will overcome their pride and anger. The poem begins in support of a female revolution, but ending with a warning call about the results of such a revolution. Though this revolution would completely change the landscape on how men treat
Later on in the story, the narrator begins to act different from the social norms. It may have been portrayed as her going mental. “I wonder how it was done and who did it, and what they did it for. Round and round and round – round and round and round – it makes me dizzy!” (Gilman 325). The narrator also notices how other women were affected by the pressure and social stigma from society. “Sometimes I think there are a great many women behind, and sometimes only one, and she crawls around fast, and her crawling shakes it all over” (Gilman 325). Many other women in that era are being suppressed, not just the
Women were unfairly judged in the past. Throughout American history, females have been regarded as the inferior gender, always doing something wrong. For example, In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the main character, Hester, is exiled to the outskirts of her town with her daughter, Pearl. The people in Hester’s town mistakenly believed that Hester had an affair during her husband’s absence; she was actually raped. This mid-seventeenth century Boston society was automatically disgusted by the fact that Hester gave birth during her husband's absence. They wrongly accused her for not being loyal when she was actually forcefully raped. The novel describes this situation by saying, “She would become the general symbol at which the preacher and moralist might point, and in which they might vivify and embody their images of woman’s frailty and sinful passion” (Hawthorne 5.1). Men were unfairly perceived as the superior individuals and less pressure was on them. Women were seen as innately sinful and, therefore, have a tarnished image because of that. They are str...