Condition of Women in Victorian age and in 21st century

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Name: - Yesha Bhatt M.

Course: - M.A. English

Semester: - 2

Batch: - 2015-2017

Enrolment no:- PG15101003

Submitted to: - Smt. S.B.Gardi Dept. of English MKBU

Email id: - yeshab68@gmail.com

Paper no: - 6 The Victorian Literature

Topic: - Condition of Women in Victorian age and in 21^St century

v Introduction of the Victorian age:

  The age was known as,

“THE MODERN PERIOD OF PROGRESS AND UNREST”

From 1850 to 1900 is known as the Victorian Age, this period has given a very new scientific theories and inventions, the period has broken all the shackles of rigidity and people were free from unnecessary rules, especially the condition of women was becoming better. The women writers who were presenting their skills and their perspective to view the world, but though the condition of them were not actually good as it should be.

                The 21^st century could be called as the second part of Victorian age which is more modern than Victorian period, but there are so many similarities in both the age, especially in the condition of women.

The condition of Women in Victorian age:

              The age is named on the name of Queen Victoria, who was on the throne at that time. In that era women did not have rights to sue or the right to own property, there was a situation of dependence. At that time because of wars there were no workers in the factories so women participated in the paid workforce in increasing numbers following the industrial revolution. Feministic ideas were spreading among the educated females of middle class. The most important step in the favour of women was change in the law, discriminatory laws were repealed and women’s suffrage momentum in last year of the Victorian era.

      Women’s position:

          Women’s rights were extremely limited in this era, especially middle class women, they were seen as belonging to the domestic sphere, and their most important duty were to keep their husband happy with providing them good facilities such as clean house, good food on the table and raise their children and a very sophisticated behaviour with fashion sense, as it was also called a fashion era. A very beautiful wife was the fashion for men, and they felt pride to have a perfect wife. As she know how to sing, how to dance how to cook food, to play piano, all the domestic work they should know, and the very important rule was do not interfere in the work of men such as political matter and industrial topics, they have to remain silent in such discussions.

          In 21^st century the condition of women is quite better than it was before, women is now not treated as a showpiece in the house. They have their own rights, government has provided such laws to the women from that they can gain their own property and can get property from her ancestors and husband.  The position of women in contemporary time is not only to keep her husband happy but they expect from their husband to keep them happy, they have not only one work as to rise the children but they can also works as industrial employ. It may happen that they don’t know how to cook food but they can work on computers and could earn more than her husband.

      Education:

          Before Victorian era education was not allowed to women, it was only for men. But in Victorian era it has allowed to women and they got an education, even such upper or high class women were calling tutor to their home and learn language and other arts as singing, playing piano and sophisticated behaviour classes, it all was not for their happiness or satisfaction but to get a good husband. They were not allowed education as per their choice, there were such subjects were provided to women as refined subjects they only study history, geography and general literature, the subject were interesting but noncontroversial. They were rarely got an opportunity to attend university. There are such exceptions also such women has also studied in the subject of “male” as physics, science and engineering, but these women were from more modern class which supports gender equality, they were also ‘allowed’ to study. It was even said that study is not a cup of tea for women it could make them ill as it is against their nature, they were to stay as

“Ornament of society”

      The system of Marriage:

The women in Victorian era was called

“The Angel in House”

   In Victorian era there was a concept of “Pater Families” it suggests that the husband is the head of the family, he is the household and moral leader, and everybody in family should obey him. The role of a wife is to love and honour her husband a position of women in family is secondary to his husband, but is seems totally unimportant, there are such duties for wife in the house to tend her husband properly rise her children is the social stability as per Victorians. The other very important concept was established by Isabella Beeton in her manual Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management. In this book she has described women as a general (an army officer) of the house she has to manage and instruct the servants she has to manage the atmosphere of house that everyone is happy and comfortable, she must perform her duties with intelligently and thoroughly. Thus she has given a compliment to the women as “domestics” a staff requiring supervision by the mistress of the house, she also maintains “housekeeping account book”. Thus this can be suggests as two sides of a coin. One side is a kind of a dark side that women is always present their self perfect for good as well as wealthy husband, age of a husband is not considered if he is enough wealthy and secure the future of his wife.

            In 21^st century marriage is a quite different than Victorian era, contemporary time has also the concept of money minded marriage but not only from the side of  women, it is also on the side of man as a system of Dowry, another similarity is a concept of marrying an old man if he is wealthy but in current era it is not only limited for women, men also marries a wealthy woman for her wealth. Contemporary time has three kind of marriage system first is arrange marriage, second is love marriage and third is live in relationship. All the three concept have made the concept of marriage very easy and comfortable, as one can stay with his or her partner without any kind of bondage except love. But in this modern age there is also a dark side of a marriage as child marriage, dowry system, forgery through marriage, human trafficking, prostitution and many more. This all could harm the systematic living life. Though the women are more free in now days marriage concept, as they are not only bounded by the household works, they could live their life as per they want to they can work outside and earn as their husband. The idea of marriage is not so much necessary for the women of 21^st century as they can live alone being single because they are working women. Thus the concept of marriage has very much variety in 21^st century.

      Woman writers of the Age:

           There were many women writers who have tried to improve the place of women in society. The famous women writers were George Eliot (Marry Anne Evans), Christina Rossetti, Georgiana Chatterton, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Anne Bronte, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte and Annie Besant, who have given their contribution for the betterment of women. But they have to write in the boundaries, the freedom in writing which has provided to men was not provided to women and such writer were strongly against the women writers so they keep criticising these women writers.

          In 21^st century there is not any kind of prohibition for women writer, they are free to write what they want to write and they could easily criticise anything from nation to the rigid mentality of the society.  Such as Kamala Das in her poem “An Introduction” has strongly criticised the point of view of society towards women. Sujata Bhatt in her poem “Search for My Tongue” has satirised the system of language.

Conclusion:

      Victorian era was an era of materialistic pleasure, it was all about pleasing the mind with artificiality and not the heart. The current period is the time of technology and social media, these two things has performed a very vital role in improvement of the position of women. All the rights she should have she has. Now women is more independent than before, but there is still such rituals and rules which controls the freedom of women and that is by religion. In Victorian era women were not allowed to attain university and in 21^st century woman are not allowed to enter in church, temple or mosque. Religion as a light should illuminate the path of humanity but it has became the darkest side of society which would take a very long time to gain its brighter side.

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