19th Century Women's Roles Essay

During the nineteenth century in Europe, women’s roles became more defined than ever. Before the nineteenth century, women had usually worked alongside their husbands in the field or factory; however, with the rise of separate spheres, women were left at home to do domestic work. The idea of separate spheres was that there were specific jobs for both women and men. The jobs for women usually consisted of staying at home and taking care of the children, while men would be the wage maker of the family. With the help of society, this idea ensured a dependence on men for years to come. This topic is important because, after years of improving women's rights during the early nineteenth century, women still faced challenges, that caused stereotypes …show more content…
To begin with, thanks to the idea of separate spheres, it was assumed that a woman would marry a wage-earning husband, therefore making it unnecessary for a woman to receive an education. If a woman did go to school, she typically went to a boarding school or was taught by a governess. At school girls would learn simple jobs and tasks that they would only use inside of the house such as how to sew or manage servants. Generally, girls were taught how to be polite, entertain and take care of children. With the lack of education on topics outside of the domestic home, women were forced to stay in the house because it had the only jobs they were educated on. Books such as Pride and Prejudice emphasized a woman’s role by saying, “A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages,” which made women see themselves only in one job with only their accomplishments identifying them. The lack of education was a distinct enforcement of separate spheres to keep women at home, while men took the role as the primary wage earner. To combat the issue of education, Blue Stockings Societies were created to promote the informal social and educational movement for women. At meetings, both women and men would discuss art, literature, and how to increase educational opportunities for women. Many men were against the society and found blue stockings unattractive. It is reasonable to think that the main reason men opposed the women’s movement, was because they felt threatened that their wife could become more intelligent than them. Even though the blue stockings helped women, many women felt discouraged from going because of the effect it had on their social status and appearance to men. As a result of women not having access to higher education, later in life, it was very hard to find a job, which caused women to