Women of the 19 th Century

1. Women of the 19th Century

2. What Was Life Like? • Rules, obligation • Felt like Slaves • Controlled by Men (fathers, brother, male relatives, husbands) • Life Mission: find a husband, reproduce, care for your family

3. What Rights Did Women Have? • Men/ Husbands controlled everything, including their bodies • “to honor and obey..” marriage laws • If a woman attempted to flee/divorce it was a law punishable crime • Divorce: 1891

4. Different Classes of Women • Upper-working class:lace, corsets, inheritence and courted by men with more money and higher standing • Lower-working class: mother, housekeeper, worker • Undersclass: clothes often consisted of dirty and torn skirts and blouses, and messy hair.  Deprived of any form of education and respected jobs, these underprivelged women mostly relied on relief organizations and some even resorted to prostitution to make a living for themselves when there was no other alternative. • Very distcint differences in the classes in terms of family life • No woman had privlages

5. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley • 1797-1851 • British writer, Frankenstein • Born to two highly educated parents • Mother died while she was young so she was raised by a cruel step-mother and unattached father. She grew very close to her step-sisters • Educated in writing, reading, literature, latin, french and Italian

6. Frankenstein • 1816 • Inspired by a ghost story and conversation • Wrote while in Switzerland • Ghost stories were told on their many sailing trips • Works with social issues on reform