Women Inequality In The 19th Century

Inequality for Women Women in the nineteenth century lived in a time period where their lives were defined by gender. Men and women were always viewed differently in every aspect of their lives. At the beginning of the century, women were allowed just a few of the legal, social, or political rights that men were allowed to partake in that are now taken for granted. Women were not allowed to vote, sue someone or be sued, they could not vote, could not testify in a court case, they had limited control over personal property after they were married because their husbands took the roles of their fathers who used to have control of their property, and they rarely were granted custody over their children in the rare cases of divorce. Women were

They are told what role to play in a marriage and this role is about the only thing that defines women in this time period, even though marriage should not be the only basis women are judged on. At this point in time, women are mostly portrayed in a negative light. This might be said to be because they were not the ones who brought the income into the family and because they were not allowed to get involved in public affairs because they were not educated. Women were not allowed to get a higher education because they had to be married and had to take care of the men in the world who worked hard putting food on the table. It could also be said that because women were not allowed to get a higher education, they were not viewed as very intelligent because they got minimal schooling and did not need to be smart to be married as long as they could cook and clean without burning the house down. It may also be seen because of the influence that could be seen on the men in their lives and how there was very little influence because society did not believe that women were capable of everything men were capable of

Through their novels, letters, essays, articles, pamphlets, and speeches these and other nineteenth-century women portrayed the often conflicting expectations imposed on them by society. These women, along with others, expressed sentiments of countless women who were unable to speak, and brought attention and support to their concerns. Modern critical analyses often focus on the methods used by women to advance their cause while still maintaining their delicate balance of propriety and feminine appeal by not "threatening" men, or the family