19th Century Women

Imagine that your role in life is as someone who silently listens with no important role in society. Putting others needs over yours were incredibly important. You are expected to be completely submissive, a mere object for decoration. In other words, imagine being known only as a mere toy and plaything of society (Botting and Carey, 713). This has been the identity of women for an abundant amount of time that has only recently began to change. Feminism is the belief that men and women should have equal rights. The lack of feminism throughout the years has caused women to become the victims of social and economic discrimination, thus preventing them from being independent (Cruea, 187). During the nineteenth century, there were large gender

Discrimination against women grew more intense as they began being called ‘plaything’, ‘toys of men’, and ‘mere dolls’ (Botting and Carey, 713). It was almost as if men didn’t see women as people, but as objects for decoration. Women were expected to act, dress, and behave a specific way. Everything women did during this time was dedicated to pleasing men. If a woman did not behave in the way that was widely accepted, they were not deemed suitable. Women were expected to dress specific ways that were unrealistic. Corsets, heavy skirts, and thin shoes were the typical dress for women during the nineteenth century, which lead to many health concerns (Cruea, 192). The role of women was all domestic. If they were to pursue anything more, they were heavily discriminated against as it was considered unnatural. Not being dependant on their husband was not accepted during the nineteenth century. Conservative writers sabotaged feminists who spoke out against the social normal by either “unsexing or hypersexing” them in public (Peiss, 822). Women were completely discouraged from being independent. The large gender boundaries that were enforced prevented feminism from becoming widely accepted, through gender inversion and sexual objectification (Peiss, 823). The home was considered the only role women had, anything other than domestic activities was not widely accepted and was not considered fitting (Peiss,

Lack of feminism has caused women to have an uncertain social role other than domestic duties (Peiss, 817). Men overshadowed women completely. Women’s identities were always constructed the same (Dickerson, 85). A lot of controversy circled the women’s movement as feminism began to become more accepted in society. During the women’s movement, women strived to improve their status in and usefulness to society, their goals being to gain civic rights and social freedom. (Cruea, 187). Women were expected to be completely dependent upon men, aside from taking care of domestic duties. The ideal female was bound to the kitchen and the nursery, trained to be obedient and submissive to their husbands and children (Cruea, 188). Women barely had any type of role in society until early feminists helped to break the boundaries, thus allowing women to finally become independent beings. Women faced discrimination for seeking higher education and advancing themselves in society. They were breaking the ideals of the nineteenth century and causing a complete change in society. Women were expected to act a specific way, as they already had their place laid out in society. Eventually, women were finally allowed to receive the same level of education and the civil and political rights men had, as well. While feminists are still having to push through boundaries to completely receive equal rights, women have come