Essay On Women In Book Of Ages And Our Nig

Women in the eighteenth and nineteenth century had little to no influence on anything outside of their domestic sphere of responsibilities. They were held to a different set of standards and responsibilities than the men who encompassed their lives. Women were endlessly belittled by the predetermined roles that were based on their gender and set by their society. They were not even considered citizens in society because they were categorized as dependents. Divisions of class were distinct and were causation for much of the diversity in women’s work and opportunities. Although class was an important factor to analyze, the most contrast that was seen in a woman’s life can be analyzed through their race. Within the two different narratives, Jill Lepore’s novel Book of Ages and Harriet Wilson’s novel Our Nig, we see many of the same struggles …show more content…
Harriet Wilson’s autobiographical novel presents a different narrative than Jill Lepore’s biography. When comparing the novel’s, we see that race and class had a significant influence on women’s struggles. It can be argued that race and a person’s freedom were some of the most important legal and social distinctions for women in this century. Overall, a woman’s race, class, and geography are important when determining the fate that they were destined to. When analyzing the North as opposed to the South the biggest contrast between the two regions was that slavery was more dominant in the South. Race in the South determined a person’s movement therefore determining a person’s ability to have a role in society. Opportunities varied among those who were free and those who were not. Those who were held under a bond had different forms of labor and a different sense of freedom based on their gender. In Stephanie Camp’s novel Closer to Freedom, we examine a geography of containment that showed the subordination of women even more so.