The Subjection of Women

During the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), gender roles were rigidly defined. While many working-class women had no choice but to work outside the home, the ideal woman belonged to the domestic sphere, representing home and hearth. Women were also considered more naturally virtuous than men and thus the gatekeepers of morality, making the upbringing of children their responsibility. Middle- and upper-class women learned from a young age not only how to run a household but also that they should not aspire to anything else. In fact, “some doctors reported that too much study actually had a damaging effect on the ovaries, turning attractive young women into dried-up prunes” (Hughes, Kathryn. “Gender Roles in the 19th Century.” British Library, 15 May 2014). Therefore, preventing women from voting or entering certain professions was deemed necessary to protect women from the corruption of the public sphere and to maintain their moral superiority. Meanwhile, men were the heads of the household, and despite the idealization of domestic life, the people in that household were considered his property, wife and children included. A man’s obligation to his home mostly involved financial upkeep; otherwise, he was free to come and go as he pleased, leaving the rearing and disciplining of his children and all domestic responsibilities to his wife.