Throughout history, men and women experienced life changing situations that impacted their lives in many different ways. The roles of both genders in society show the narrow thread of their gender specific roles and social standards, ultimately crafting a realm in which one gender is seen as superior over the other. The customs of masculinity and femininity in the eastern part of the U.S, contributed tremendously to the roles played by men and women on the Overland Trail. However, the development of the west showed the orthodox practices of American culture and the customs in which many Americans identified themselves. The novel by Kenneth Holmes called “The covered wagon”, illustrates the lives of the women who traveled the west in covered …show more content…
wagons during the 19th century through their letters and diaries. Women like Tamsen Donner as well as Virginia Reed, members of the Donner party, played an important part in Eastern colonization in the west. In addition, there are letters and diaries from a Mormon midwife who delivered five babies on the trail and Rachel Fisher, who had to bury her husband and daughter before getting to Oregon. Through the words of these women, current historians are able to visualize the different places and details revolving around the trail, crafting scenarios that are both devastating and heart-warming to its audience. Holmes focused primarily on the roles of women's in the expansion to the west and how the absence of women history shows the physical barrier crafted by gender roles. During the 1840’s, the roles of men and women to their communities became defined by the social and economic changes around the world. The role of women averted from assisting their husband in their jobs to attending primarily to their domestic duties at home. The crucial fact of what Victorians thought of as the “separate spheres” define the natural characteristics of men and women in society. Women were considered to be physically weaker than men however they were morally superior to them due to connections to the domestic sphere in society. Needless to say, it has always been the duty of women to balance the duties of obliging to commands made by men and being a mother. Most of these traditional expectations for women were established prior to the 19th century, which contributed to the reason why many women didn’t have the same opportunities as men. Men were expected to live a more public life since they were the ones who were doing most of the physical labor out in factories as well as socializing with other men in public places like bars and business meetings. Women, on the contrary, lived a more reserved and homebound lifestyle, where they had little or no interactions with other individuals. They had duties such as cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children and although they did run into circumstances where they had free time, they weren’t allowed to spend it by socializing. Women were expected to spend their time doing other things related to their domestic life and the maintenance of the family. On the plus side, women did interact with other women when they got together for tea and knitting, which made women feel less lonely throughout the day. Furthermore, women were overall removed from any public aspect of society. They were not allowed to vote and couldn’t contribute publicly to society without the presence of their husbands or fathers. This resulted in women being bound to related males and completely shut out of the political and social sphere of society. Men carried their roles in society by protecting and providing for their families, forgetting all other aspects of society. As a result, this made women carry on the other roles that were dropped by the men. As the breadwinners, men were looked upon to make all the decisions regarding the public sphere of society. So when the idea of migrating westward erupted in the East, the men couldn’t be questioned by any of the women and ultimately resulted in the family traveling to the west. Women were ranked number two when it came to men’s authority and would have to confine with the westward journey whether they wanted or not. However, the reason why many married women endured the harsh conditions traveling to the west was because the dismembering of the economic and support structure provided by her husband. Many women didn’t want to face the hardship of balancing both duties of mom and dad. The dismembering of men in the common household threatened the sphere of domesticity, preserved for the women and consequently, affected their ability to maintain the household and changing the average women’s perception of their everyday lives. Even though many women didn’t have the opportunity to have a say over the migration west, they did hold a great influence over the preparation of the journey. Many of the people that emigrated to the west were not from wealthy families and this contributed to the reason why so many laborers and their families moved. The dreams of gold, prosperity and owning land was motivation enough to drive many families out west, however it didn’t prepare them for the hardships that was awaiting them. Women found the Overland Trail to be a volatile place with little comfort or resemblance of their eastern lives, and where the ability to keep their family intact was constantly threatened. Men on the other hand saw the move to the west as a new opportunity to gain wealth and to own land. This shows the obvious differences between the men and women on the journey. Men were more worried about obtaining land and gold while women were more worried about protecting the health of their family and maintaining domestic stability. Sallie Hester, a pioneer girl in 1849 stated, “My father is going in search of gold, not health.” (Holmes. Pg 174) Needless to say, men and women did share one thought in common: the emigration to the west would improve their current circumstances and open new doors to opportunities and prosperity. The vivid dream that the west was going to recreate their lives and slowly remove them from their eastern and “tainted” roots of misfortune was common among travelers. It is also evident that the journey challenged most of their customs and the luxuries in their previous lives, forcing them to adapt to their surroundings through self help. The role of women was crucial, even before a family would move west.
Since it was common for women to pack the wagons, they were responsible for making lists of household items that they wouldn’t be able to take with them. Most of these items were sold and traded in order to provide money and goods for the long journey ahead. This is one of the first hardships that women had to face besides not being able to have a say in the matter of migrating west. When women packed the wagon, the harsh reality of leaving their home finally set in, making them question what is important and what is not. Women had to quickly figure out what items were crucial to their survival and which items were just there for materialistic purposes. Items such as food and water ultimately replaced furniture and tableware because they began to represent the thin line between life and death. Although it didn’t stop people from leaving their personal possession and the stable life in the East, food was the main item that was packed due to the long journey and the unforeseen circumstances that lay ahead. It also didn’t stop many from over packing, which resulted in many discarded furniture and items along the trail. The women would usually pack a reasonable amount of clothing and bedding because many opted to sleep in tents instead of in the wagon. They also stocked up on crucial medicines, in order to prevent the spread of diseases which unfortunately didn’t last the whole
trip.
Women were auctioned off as “merchandise” to the best suitor they could get in town. Beauty, though important, was not as important as the dowry the woman possessed, because it was the dowry the family provided that could exalt a man’s societal status to all new heights. Once married, women were expected to have son’s for their husbands in order to take over the family business. A barren woman was not an option and could have easily been rushed to the nearest convent to take her vows of a nun, for no honor could be brought otherwise. No woman could run from the societal and legal pressures placed upon them. Rather than run, some chose to accept their place, but, like Lusanna, some chose to fight the status quo for rights they believed they
In the text, one learns of how bags, or toe-sacks as I have always heard, were turned into bed linens, bath linens, undergarments, cookware, and dresses. The fact that women were smart enough to re-use feed bags for necessary household and personal care says a lot about the southern farm-women’s mind. They are already supporting peddlers, making their own money to become economically stable, and now they are making their own beautiful linens. One story of this wonderful invention comes from north Georgia’s Harriet Echols who says “I’d try to go buy feed so I could match the bags with what I had at home… I’d take a bag of every color that I had.” Later in the nineteenth century, cotton bags became a more popular source of bags. Cotton bag clothes were given to those who were not economically stable yet to help in times of need. The Georgia Emergency Relief Administration was one of the most successful relief projects and were “classes for young girls who longed for pretty things but could not afford to buy them and could not make them.” Southern farm women gained much attention for the way that they thought of things; for thinking up the idea of sewing feed sacks to make high-demand linens. Here we are in late 2016, still using the ideology based off of sewing feed sacks. Not only was this idea very unique, but it was also beneficial. This was another clever way in which women found to excel in the economy. If they were only sewing for themselves or their family, they did not lose money because they were using recycled products and in the grand scheme of things were making clothes basically at no cost. If they were selling their linens to others who maybe had no interest or time in sewing, they were using recycled sacks and could have sold their linens so they were actually gaining profit. By these women re-using feed sacks,
In the book “The Things They Carried” four female characters played an important role in the lives of the men. Whether imaginary or not, they showed the power that women could have over men. Though it's unknown if the stories of these women are true or not, they still make an impact on the lives of the soldiers and the main narrator.
During the Victorian Era, society had idealized expectations that all members of their culture were supposedly striving to accomplish. These conditions were partially a result of the development of middle class practices during the “industrial revolution… [which moved] men outside the home… [into] the harsh business and industrial world, [while] women were left in the relatively unvarying and sheltered environments of their homes” (Brannon 161). This division of genders created the ‘Doctrine of Two Spheres’ where men were active in the public Sphere of Influence, and women were limited to the domestic private Sphere of Influence. Both genders endured considerable pressure to conform to the idealized status of becoming either a masculine ‘English Gentleman’ or a feminine ‘True Woman’. The characteristics required women to be “passive, dependent, pure, refined, and delicate; [while] men were active, independent, coarse …strong [and intelligent]” (Brannon 162). Many children's novels utilized these gendere...
Society continually places restrictive standards on the female gender not only fifty years ago, but in today’s society as well. While many women have overcome many unfair prejudices and oppressions in the last fifty or so years, late nineteenth and early twentieth century women were forced to deal with a less understanding culture. In its various formulations, patriarchy posits men's traits and/or intentions as the cause of women's oppression. This way of thinking diverts attention from theorizing the social relations that place women in a disadvantageous position in every sphere of life and channels it towards men as the cause of women's oppression (Gimenez). Different people had many ways of voicing their opinions concerning gender inequalities amound women, including expressing their voices and opinions through their literature. By writing stories such as Daisy Miller and The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Henry James let readers understand and develop their own ideas on such a serious topic that took a major toll in American History. In this essay, I am going to compare Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” to James’ “Daisy Miller” as portraits of American women in peril and also the men that had a great influence.
The setting of both stories reinforces the notion of women's dependence on men. The late 1800's were a turbulent time for women's roles. The turn of the century brought about revolution, fueled by the energy and freedom of a new horizon…but it was still just around the bend. In this era, during which both short stories were published, members of the weaker sex were blatantly disregarded as individuals, who had minds that could think, and reason, and form valid opinions.
People in these Montana prairies had an isolated life where “Every generation relearns the rules its fathers have forgotten”, cursed nature when it threatens their livelihood, yet realized that “This land owes you nothing” [p. 60]. This was a time and region where the difference between what was expected of men and women was paramount. Children grew up working hard, knowing their place in their society and grew up quickly as a result. Being somewhat of a tomboy, Blunt could handle farm equipment and chores as well as her brother, yet was still expected to learn how to cook, clean and care for the men. As with previous generations, it was expected that she follow a planned path to becoming a rancher’s wife. But Judy Blunt always felt there was something more to this hard, bleak life and began a long journey towards breaking clean from the constraints of her upbringing.
Suburban life in the 1950s was ideal, but not ideal for the women. Women were continuously looked at as the typical suburban housewife. In Richard Yates’ novel, Revolutionary Road, we are given the chance to see the dynamics of the Wheeler family and of those around them. Through the use of theme, tone and major symbolism in the novel, we are shown the perspective of gender roles in the 1950s. The author shows the reader the struggles of strict gender roles and how the protagonist of the story will do just about anything to escape from it.
Women in the nineteenth century, for the most part, had to follow the common role presented to them by society. This role can be summed up by what historians call the “cult of domesticity”. The McGuffey Readers does a successful job at illustrating the women’s role in society. Women that took part in the overland trail as described in “Women’s Diaries of the Westward Journey” had to try to follow these roles while facing many challenges that made it very difficult to do so.
French, Katherine L., and Allyson M. Poska. Women and Gender in the Western past. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 2007. Print.
“Women’s roles were constantly changing and have not stopped still to this day.” In the early 1900s many people expected women to be stay at home moms and let the husbands support them. But this all changes in the 1920s, women got the right to vote and began working from the result of work they have done in the war. Altogether in the 1920s women's roles have changed drastically.
The travelers would try to bring some of the heavier stuff they owned, typically like stoves, furniture and pianos. The wagons could only hold between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds and with the necessaries, there wasn’t a lot of weight to spare.The weight could cause the wagon to brake or the animals to have troubles pulling it. The travelers would get a few miles and realized that they have too much weight and have to leave it on the side of the road.
Throughout American Literature, women have been depicted in many different ways. The portrayal of women in American Literature is often influenced by an author's personal experience or a frequent societal stereotype of women and their position. Often times, male authors interpret society’s views of women in a completely different nature than a female author would. While F. Scott Fitzgerald may represent his main female character as a victim in the 1920’s, Zora Neale Hurston portrays hers as a strong, free-spirited, and independent woman only a decade later in the 1930’s.
Women roles have changed drastically in the last 50 to 80 years, women no longer have to completely conform to society’s gender roles and now enjoy the idea of being individuals. Along with the evolution of women roles in society, women presence and acceptance have drastically grown in modern literature. In early literature it was common to see women roles as simply caretakers, wives or as background; women roles and ideas were nearly non-existent and was rather seen than heard. The belief that women were more involved in the raising of children and taking care of the household was a great theme in many early literatures; women did not get much credit for being apart of the frontier and expansion of many of the nations success until much later.
Like many novels and mini-series of the past, present and future, gender is always a subject that is to be explored. To begin, in The Emigrants written by George Lamming, we see the recurring theme that gender is represented through the view of the superior or more important gender, and of the lesser but somewhat still important gender. The men in The Emigrants, are highly valued, viewed as the ones fighting the war, who should be looking for training an education, to provide for their wives, and for themselves. The women are seen as lesser, sometimes as objects but also valued, as they provide support to the men. They are represented with a contrasting view. In the beginning of the novel, we see that the men are highly respected; “the soldiers