The Victorian Era of Women's Domesticity - Essay Example

The progress and success of women are very significant in society. However, the success of women cannot be fully exploited without referring to my era, the Victorians. The Victorian era was associated with women's domesticity. In the period, I Xuan was believed to belong to the domestic sphere; this stereotype required me not only to provide my husband with a clean home and food but also to raise my children. In other words, innocence, inexperience as well as cultivated fragility were my characteristic attributes of me as a Victorian woman. I not only communicated through symbols but also expressed my emotions through playing piano. The division of responsibilities was very significant; men and women recognized the difference in their roles and accepted the fact that even within marriage they were supposed to lead separate lives until their death. Unmarried women who got pregnant were highly disregarded in the Victorian era; they were considered not only conspicuous but also a danger to society’s stability. However, the pregnancy of a married woman was highly valued because of the high position of babies after marriage.

            I remember a big celebration that was held by my father when I experienced my first menstrual cycle. I think he celebrated because he knew he was going to exchange me for a good amount of money. He was the one that had the authority of deciding which boyfriend was to marry me depending on the money in his saving account. In connection with this, only women who were virgins were considered potential wives during my era. Virginity was an indication of not only the purity of the woman but also a significant bride price. Marriage in my era was also between couples from the same social class; a wealthy man married a woman from a wealthy family as well as a poor man married a woman from a poor family. To avoid shame associated with uncalled matches, my parents controlled my company. It was a result of this that I married a wealthy man that I did not love. The double standard was also acknowledged in my era; men were allowed to have many lovers considering that women were barred from having any lover apart from the husband because they were believed not to have sexual energy. The guilty of adultery, as well as the pregnancy of an unmarried woman, meant not only shame but also humiliation. Thus, I avoided by all means having any relationships before marriage as well as outside my marriage after getting married to my husband.