Jane Eyre
...even consider, unless she came from a wealthy family and with a substantial dowry. 3. Since women’s only goals in life were marriage and motherhood, they only needed a minimal education: if a woman were given an “education” at all, it was more of a “finishing school” one--that emphasized “accomplishments” such as knowing music, a smattering of French, the latest fashions and dances, and other superficial matters that wd. make then good hostesses at their husbands’ dinner parties and in public—a “pretty possession” that was sweet, beautiful, kind, moral, obedient and “good” in a childlike kind of way, that their husbands owned and could be proud of. Women were to be full of sentimental “feelings” and always supportive of their husbands’ views. Parents and all elements of society—the press, literature of all kinds, religious education, etc. all fostered similar views of woman’s innate qualities and limitations, and of her limited roles and rights in society. Ironically, the women who were to rock these early 19c. views were women whose mothers were uninvolved in their raising because of illness or were dead! Most of the “new women” who were to change society forever used models of their fathers or older brothers instead of other women models! They got “real” education by sitting in on their brothers’ lessons with their tutors, or by raiding their fathers’ libraries. A good education was rarely offered to a woman; most of the great women writers of the 19c. got their educations by “hook or by crook.” 4. Women in early 19c. England had literally no protection under the law. The laws protecting women and giving them “property rights” finally began to be passed in the Victorian Age. Previously they had no right to property—which meant that even if dear old dad were rich, upon his death, all his property went to his sons. If he had no sons, a man’s property wd. go to his next male of kin, a male cousin in the family for instance. Dads however, wd. typically give their daughters’ husbands dowries or stipends for life when they got married. Many marriages were arranged, or at least encouraged, between young men and women of similar social status, and understandably, many were not happy marriages. Also, it was very difficult, almost impossible for women to get divorces. Although it was not socially approved, men could, however, beat their wives—and the law would look the other way. If a woman did complain, the court might slap the husband’s hand with a fine, but then would send the abused wife back to her husband—who would really let her have it then! So women knew better than to complain. 5. There was also a double standard, sexually. It was very common for men to have mistresses. But women were considered “fallen women,”—not acceptable anymore for marriage if their affairs became public. When married, they could be divorced in shame if they had affairs; and women were supposed to be totally innocent about sex—were supposed to not even like it and were expected to be passive lovers, responsive to their husbands’ needs-- according to the numerous “prescriptive” books that described the proper behavior of women. All in all, women had a pretty bad situation—their property and other rights came slowly over the Victorian era. Of course they didn’t get the vote until the twentieth century, after American women got it. Over the Victorian Age, their access to an education gradually improved; much more slowly came opportunities for occupations outside of the home. To Queen Victoria’s credit, although she was very traditional and believed women belonged in the home, she listened to her advisors and by the end of her era, women finally had access to university education and a few professions (such as nursing and teaching). . Earlier in the century, during the Romantic Age, Mary Wollstonecraft had addressed most of the issues that still plagued women in the Victorian Era in the Vindication of the Rights of Women. She tried to persuade her women readers that they should stop depending on “beauty” and acting helpless and emotionally sensitive to get what they wanted from men. She called women’s methods of trying to get what they wanted from men “cunning.” She argued that women could think and speak rationally and should try to convince men to agree with their ideas through logic and sound, intelligent reasoning. She encouraged women to seek education and opportunities for other occupations besides marriage. Although she did label marriage “legal prostitution,” she was not really against it—only wanted to see it radically changed. She proposed that husbands and wives should be equals and friends, not just legal lovers, so that they could be happy together through life; and then the husband wouldn’t seek a mistress when he got bored with his dull, aging wife. She argued that this equality would benefit men, as well, who would enjoy the improved companionship of a talented, educated, smart friend in his wife. She also argued: wouldn’...