As a result of this, social mobility was limited at this time and people socialised in small circles, with only those of a similar class. Any socialisation out of this was seen as absurd. It was women especially that felt the limitations of the late 18th century/early 19th century, as there were strict expectations of them. Women were seen as possessions of men, and expected to be educated and well behaved, mostly in hope to ensure themselves a husband of wealth in order to further themselves as women did not inherit any land or money from their fathers, this went to the closest male relative. Any kind of acting out of against the expected image of a woman would be seen as shameful and would lead to isolation even further in terms of socialisation and the hope of a husband.
Even though there was an unmarried woman on the throne in Elizabethan England, the roles of women in society were very limited. The Elizabethans had very clear expectations of men and women, and in general men were expected to be the breadwinners and women to be housewives and mothers. On average, a woman gave birth to a child every two years, but as a lot of babies and children died from sickness, families were not always large. Childbearing was considered a great honour to women, as children were seen as blessings from God. It was believed that women always needed someone to look after them.
The governess’s adoration of the uncle after visiting him at Harley Street and her belief that he needed her reflects the governess’s naivety. Being a poor Parson’s daughter from a Hampshire vicarage, it is likely that she had never been to the city of London before; also she is described as “young, afraid and nervous”. This creates a sense of vulnerability as she lacks exposure hence the slightest of things may tend to amaze her. As prior ladies that were interviewed for the job rejected it on the basis of the condition that they would have no contact with the outside world, the governess accepted the job and already felt rewarded after the uncle held her hand. This “fluttered anxious” Parson’s daughter lacking experience also tends to be vulnerable as she fails to have the necessary prowess to deal with matters.
Jane’s new wealth, due to her uncle’s death, allows Jane to be truly independent, “I am independent, sir, as well as rich: I am my own mistress”. Although Jane attempts to be independent earlier in the novel, it is always impossible due to her economic disadvantage. She strives to have freedom in her relationship with Edward Rochester and through her feminist power gains her some freedom, his economic dominance always hindered her liberty. This idea was expressed by Bronte through slave imagery. Jane was a slave to her profession and class, “governess slavery”, and was discriminated against by Rochester’s wealthy friends.
Harriet Jacobs was a strong individual who didn’t give she stride to have the best for her children and Harriet Jacobs did what she could to have the best for her kids.the style and structure of Incidents to the hugely popular “sentimental novels” of the nineteenth century, many of which tell the story of a young girl fighting to protect her virtue from a sexually aggressive man. Jacobs knew that her contemporaries would see her not as a virtuous woman but as a fallen one and would be shocked by her relationship with Sawyer and the illegitimate children it produced. In spite of her embarrassment, Jacobs insisted on telling her story honestly and completely, determined to make white Americans aware of the sexual victimization that slave women commonly faced and to dramatize the fact that they often had no choice but to surrender their virtue. A recurring theme in, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, is Harriet Jacobs's reflections on what slavery meant to her as well as all women in bondage. Continuously, Jacobs expresses her deep hatred of slavery, and all of its implications.
Also, this meant that the married woman had no control over the legal authority of their families. In the rare cases of separation, the fathers had custody of the children. Also, when a young woman was to be married, the only freedom she had was to choose to turn down an offensive suitor selected by her father. Another difference between men and women’s legal status in the colonies was that women were not allowed to preach religion, only men were allowed to do that. That was the legal status of women in the American colonies.
Lee uses the code established by the society of Maycomb, both in the courthouse and in every day treatment of one another to reveal this unique perspective. Sadly, societies version of code of honor differs greatly from the individual and family codes of honor. This is because code of honor has the greatest power in society where it often undermines logic. Societal code of honor is based mostly upon social ranking. In the novel, each family has a specific place, the Finches being one of the more prestigious families, and the Ewells the lowest.
Domestic violence was accepted within the community and the husbands didn’t receive any consequence for their actions. Renaissance wives had to be obedient to their husbands, which required you to ask permission to leave your home, speak properly, dress nicely and have all of your skin covered. Divorce was only available to very wealthy woman and it was very rare. The only hope to freedom that renaissance wives had were if they were to become widows and inherit the family’s property become financially independent, but if the husband was in debt they would be passed down the financial burden and left to all the farm work. Whether they were a rural woman or a urban women, during the Renaissance they had all of chores and duties.
If she were a "kind" child, by the eyes of Mrs. Reed, she would never go to Lockwood school; she were able to grow up in terms of knowledge in the school, because she had the need of being liked by others and was strong enough to improve herself in many ways; she, by herself, took a chance when announcing to be a governess. Charlotte Brontë Persuasion (Jane Austen) Anne Elliot is the oldest female heroine and one of the most solid characters in Jane Austen's novels. She is level-headed in difficult situations and constant in her affections. Such qualities make her the desirable sister to marry: she is always the first choice (for Mr. Musgrove, Mr. Elliot and Mr. Wentworth). Jane Austen Comparing both novels Women Both characters are strong, vivid, self-confident and, in some way, a rupture to the normal behavior on that time.
Class: The Very Nature of Identity Whether a person comes from the rich, moderately rich, middle class, or the very poor, class distinction is extremely prevalent in Victorian literature, especially as to what one is worth in society. Characters from Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations are at the heart of this statement and, with the help of James Eli Adams’ article, on The boundaries of social intercourse’: Class in the Victorian Novel, I will discuss social classes represented by Dickens. This will show how the audiences is motivated to think about the effects social position has on individual identity by illustrating the different lifestyles and behaviors associated in Victorian society that depict a clear separation of social class. First of all, social class is a central theme of the social order illustrated in Great Expectations. Social class determines the custom for how one is treated in society.