In earlier centuries it had been usual for women to work alongside husbands. Pdf on oct 3, 2014, emy blesio and others published the woman. The dates of the victorian era 18361901 coincide with. Gender ideologies of the victorian era, for example, provide us with an excellent. Victorian era, the period between about 1820 and 1914, corresponding roughly to the period of queen victorias reign 18371901 and. The industrial revolution, the railway age, steam engines were being used in mines, factories and ships.
Research article open access an overview of feminism in. From marriage and sexuality to education and rights, professor kathryn hughes looks at attitudes towards gender in 19thcentury britain. The study was largely based on twelve streets to the immediate west of glasgow city centre which, while practically contiguous, ranged from the very prosperous to the relatively modest. The victorian writer wrote essays, novels, plays and poems. Although the victorian era was a period of extreme social inequality, industrialisation brought about rapid changes in everyday life that affected all classes. Gender roles in the 19th century the british library. Victorian women and their working roles digital commons at. The present research deals with the gender roles during the victorian era and the literature produced during the period that reflects the social status of women in. Queen victorian and feminism and lastly the victorian writer and the woman question. Her role, however, never initiated such heated deliberation as it did throughout midvictorian england, as evidenced by jane eyre, a novel published by a. Victorian woman, or the angel of the house was defined by her role within the home because the family served as a sanctuary for the preservation of traditional moral and religious values zedner 12. Victorian women and their working roles a thesis in english by kara l.
Still have brutal factory conditions, low wages, and crowded cities, but the 1830s mark the beginning of political and social reform acts. Shift from agrarian society to industrial society creates a middle class neither rich nor poor. Women throughout the victorian era were treated as secondary citizens to men in society. The victorian era placed high value on honor, duty, moral seriousness, and sexual propriety. Victorian women in literature 143 account of the social institutions of victorian london. Using the feminist critical theory, the paper argues that the predominant theme in victorian literature was the presentation of the new woman. The qualities valued by victorian society in the ideal female were submissiveness, innocence, purity, gentleness, selfsacrifice, patience. Not up for discussion for people living in the western world in the 21st century, it is hard to imagine the lack of womens rights in the victorian era. During the victorian period men and womens roles became more sharply defined than at any time in history.