Victorian Ladies and Gentlemen

"Let woman be what God intended; a helpmate for a man--but with totally different duties & vocations" (pg. 580). That has got to be the dumbest and most sexist thing I've ever heared/read in my life.

These reading passages were very enlightening to say the least. I was always aware of the fact that women were quite inferior in the eyes of men in the 1800s but i didn't know there were so many women who were content in living in that lifestyle. I guess because I am a female living in the 21st century with the same rigts and respect given to any and every other male alive it is a bit hard for me to understand why inferiority was so acceptable. I mean I was astonished that Queen Victoria did not want women to have the same rights as men (the reading specifically stated her position against women and voting (pg. 580)).

Reading about old England's distinction of what a lady and a gentleman is was also fascinating while at the same time a bit predictable. It is interesting that a lot of the those views are still quite prevalent even in America today. At least now I understand why "manliness" and sports go hand and hand. It was disturbing to read about Charlotte and Anne Bronte's extremely unpleasant experiences as a governess. I still just don't understand why working, for a positive reason of course, was and is in some respect looked down upon, "Rarely was the governess treated as an equal by her employers, even though she was expected to be a "lady"" (pg. 560). Reading about their experiences made me feel bad for them and sorry for that society for being so ignorant and close-minded. In my opinion the two of them were the perfect images of what a "lady" is supposed to be.