Victorian Women

1. Victorian Women By Allison Bowden, Mina Kaji, Sarah Schrader-Nahoom, and Tess Johnson

2. Gender Roles 'Think what it is to be a boy, to grow up to manhood in the belief that without any merit or exertion of his own... by the mere fact of being born a male he is by right the superior of all and every one of an entire half of the human race,' wrote John Stuart Mill in his 1867 polemic against 'The Subjection of Women' • During the Victorian era, English society was highly patriarchal. Husbands considered their wives feeble, submissive, and unable to think for themselves. • Finding a husband and procreating were the sole purposes of a woman’s life, as well as a comfortable means of survival when compared to a woman in the workforce. The ‘working woman’ was a description limited to either a factory worker required to work in wretched conditions or a prostitute. • Upon marriage, a woman lost her her rights, property, and identity. She was, henceforth, her husband’s property and was expected to act accordingly. • The world was so thoroughly ruled by men that women, their rights, and adequate representation was hardly even considered important, let alone an issue at all.

3. Courting the Victorian Woman • Getting married was considered more of a career move than a celebration of a connection. This is because all of a woman’s property belonged to him after they were married. A wealthy woman was more desirable to a man in regards to marriage. • Women would groom for the role of wife from a very young age. They would have to learn how to be a doting wife and mother. Women were not encouraged to be intellectual or have any knowledge about current events. However, they were expected to be knowledgeable about poetry and things that would spark a conversation at a social gathering. • A woman was expected to be pure, and she could never be seen with a male alone before marriage. A chaperone would always accompany her at social functions. Even when she was engaged, she could only be seen occasionally touching hands with her fiancé. A proper Victorian woman had to adhere to a certain code of conduct. Here are some examples. She never approached people of higher rank, unless being introduced by a mutual friend. A single woman never addressed a gentleman without an introduction. A lady never looked back after anyone in the street, or turned to stare at others at church, the opera, etc.

4. Victorian Dress • There was a sense of etiquette for women during the 19th century. Whether it was tea, church or breakfast, there was a dress for almost every occasion. • Clothes of the Victorian era were very elaborate and constricting. • The rise of the economy allowed people to make more expensive looking elaborate dresses because the Industrial Revolution made making cloth not only cheaper, but easier • These dresses were so tight that they affected the way women walked, sat, or moved their arms. Some common garments worn were: -Skirts -Corsets -Bonnets -Hoop Skirts -Petticoats -Bustle -Underskirt Boots

5. Famous Victorian Women • Queen Victoria • (1819-1901) Queen of the United Kingdom (1837-1901). Oversaw extension of British Empire and named Empress of India (1876-1901). Victorian Era named after her. • Florence Nightingale • (1820-1910)- Pioneering nurse. Born in Italy, Nightingale served as a nurse in the Crimean war and helped to raise standards of hospitals and the nursing profession.

6. Portrayal of Victorian Women in Heart of Darkness • Men considered females too innocent to learn the truth behind the ways in which their lavish lifestyles were funded. • The “white man’s burden” was to protect women from the truth of the rough colonial-imperial business world. • Marlow, the protagonist of Heart of Darkness, makes an effort to preserve the female fancy and hides them from the masculine knowledge in the expedition to the heart of darkness. • In Heart of Darkness, women play only secondary roles and are always inferior to the men surrounding them. • There are only three recognizable female characters in the novella: Marlow’s aunt and Kurtz’s aunt Intended and his African mistress. They all play secondary roles and are always inferior to the men surrounding them.

7. Works Cited • "A Woman's Place In  C19th Victorian History." A Woman's Place in Victorian Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014. <http://www.fashion-era.com/a_womans_place.htm>. • Biswas, Asit K. "Conrad’s Heart of Darkness : Negotiating Space for the Women." Inflibnet. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2014. • "Bullying Defenders of Social Norms." SporkovatsMyFDL Diary Site Wide Activity RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014. <http://my.firedoglake.com/sporkovat/2010/01/19/bullying-defenders-of-obsolete-social-norms-can-end- up-looking-stupid-dated-and-obsolete/>. • Edin, Kayla Walker. ""It Is Impossible That All This Should Be Lost": Victorian Narratice In Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness." Victorian Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2014 • Harris, Kristina. The Etiquette of Victorian Dress. Digital image. Queen Victoria and Fashion. N.p., 21 Apr. 2006. Web. 03 Feb. 2014. • "Historical Analysis: Women as the "the Sex"" Historical Analysis: Women as the "the Sex" During TheVictorian Era. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014. http://webpage.pace.edu/nreagin/tempmotherhood/fall2003/3/ HisPage.html. • Hoppe, Michelle. "Courting the Victorian Woman." Courting the Victorian Woman. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2014. http://www.literary-liaisons.com/article009.html. • "UNC News Release -- Victorian Women and Pastimes Are Topics of Talk,exhibit at Wilson." UNC News Release -- Victorian Women and Pastimes Are Topics of Talk,exhibit at Wilson. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014. <http:// www.unc.edu/news/archives/jan06/victorian010506.htm>. • "Victorian Era." : Fashion. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2014. <http://victorianeracnr.blogspot.com/2011/01/ fashion.html>. • Why More Men Should Dress (and Be) like Sherlock Holmes (and Dr. John Watson)…. Digital image. Dressforms. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.