Gender Discrimination in the 19th Century: Cause and Effect - Essay Example

GENDER DISCRIMINATION IN THE 19TH CENTURY I. INTRODUCTION Until the Industrial Revolution of 19th Century, the nurturing role of the women was considered their only accomplishment cited in history books. “This nurturing role is two-fold. It included the whole area on economic production and industry, as they worked side by side with men by shouldering the entire burden revolving around the family and the home” (Bell 2). Women were perceived to be second-rate human beings compared to men. This perceived inferiority left them stucked inside the home to portray the role of domesticated goddesses mainly doing household work such as cleaning the house and taking care of the children. It was at this age when the essence of a woman is purely focused on bearing and rearing children. This discrimination afforded women with very limited rights. They did not practice the right to suffrage, nor were they allowed to receive formal education. They always took the back seat behind their husbands as they were overpowered by the male-dominated society during that time. In sum, this mediocrity caused a woman to be merely identified as man’s helper. They were designated with only two roles in life: That of a submissive housewife and a caring mother. These are the only achievements they are expected to fulfill. “Although the women’s responsibility is of supreme importance for the continuity of the race, the nurturing role of women in Western society is rarely mentioned in writings of historians. The neglect of women’s labor on society is for the reason that the female population lacked participation on political, ideological, diplomatic and artistic matters throughout the centuries” (Bell 2). In the year 1792, a British feminist named Mary Wollstonecraft wrote the book entitled A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects. Her masterpiece became the foundation of the most basic works of feminist philosophy. “She used her literary piece as a vehicle to counter political theorists during the 18th century who misjudged women to be worthy of an education. She maintains that women, just like men are entitled to obtain an education which is equal to their social standing by saying that women can be co-equals of their husbands. She ridiculed prevailing notions about women as helpless, charming adornments of the household” (History Guide). Wollstonecraft regarded women as highly important human beings who should be afforded with the same basic rights like men. She asserts that a woman must not be considered merely as property to be traded in marriage. “As a basis, she anchored her line of reasoning on the rationale that men and women are equal in the eyes of God. She further believed that God made all things right and that the cause of all evil was man”(Standford Encyclopedia). II. discussions THESIS: Society dictated that women should marry rich men to maintain social status and be accepted in society. In the “Twelve Rules of Love” written by Andreas Capellanus, the readers are left wondering whether his conceptions of courtly love and chivalry even took place. “The mutual love which men sought from women is impossible to achieve for no woman ever loved a man and bound herself to her lover in the mutual bonds of love. For a woman’s desire is to get rich through love, but not to give her lover the solaces that please him” (Belle 127). In fact, many women in the 19th century who were born into upper class, were not born wealthy. It was during this age and time when civilization was bound to set very strict social distinctions. The women from rich families were highly respected in society, while poor women were ostracized. Some wealthy women think that the most important thing in the world is love, but for the women in destitute, it was money that conquered the world. In the olden times, women are more concerned about marrying a man for his fame and fortune. It became more important than love because women did not know how to work and earn a living then. The role of a female then was to stay home to take care of the household and the children. It is their husbands who will provide for the basic needs of the family. Majority of the women, whether they are rich or mostly the underprivileged ones, were only concerned about finding a man with wealth, property, and inheritance because of the dictates of society. Women scouted for wealthy bachelors to keep up with the demands of social acceptance and to maintain social standing. In the Middle Ages, you cannot find a woman who will love man so much or be constant because if somebody else comes to her and offers her presents, you cannot expect her to be faithful to her love. Even if a man showers a woman with innumerable gifts, if she learns that the man had lost his money, she will treat him like a total stranger who came from another country and everything that the man does will annoy her and cause her boredom. “Women had so much avarice for generous gifts and can break down all barriers of their virtue. Because of their avarice, women then are considered as thieves as they carry their purses. Even if than man is distinguished with royal honors, but he doesn’t not give the woman gifts, the man will not be entertained and doors will be shut down on him in shame” (Bell 127). Another vital aspect that must be mentioned is that reputation is another social restriction. Hence, a woman had a reputation to protect. Those ladies who stayed unmarried were highly detested by society. For them, marriage is a requirement in order to uphold a woman’s reputation, so women became dependent on the men to save their reputation by marriage. On the other hand, Shakespeare’s legendary play known as “Romeo and Juliet” narrates the tragic love story of Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, who both belong from two antagonistic families. These two juveniles were often described by history as star-crossed lovers who were doomed to be separated from each other. Their story defied feudal aristocracy as Shakespeare illustrated that true love will reign in all forms of battle and hostility, and thus keep social order. It was also during this era that women were seen as objects who are traded for marriage, just like in the case of Juliet, who as forced by his father to marry a man she did not love in the person of Count Paris, who is a kinsman of Esculus who wishes to marry Juliet. This story also imparts to us the role of the man and woman in society. It highlighted the most admirable role of the man which is to graciously serve his lady. And women became their masters, expected to be fervently adored by the man and is worthy of his servitude. Again, this is a clear illustration why the female gender came in second over men. They were expected to be submissive and dependent on the men in order to maintain their social status. III. CONCLUSION The history books revealed that nothing much was written about women’s achievements and accomplishments. It is society which placed them in the position of a weaker gender compared to men. They were denied of equal opportunities to excel in any field. They were only expected to marry rich bachelors so that they maintain social status. They were only regarded as objects to be traded in marriage. It is for this very reason that the glaring conflict between the actual position and the abstract position of women thus, confounds the historians and the students of modern women alike. “The more deeply we penetrate the historical world of Western women, the more we suspect that the reality of everyday experience and the abstraction of the philosophical and moral speculation lacked cohesion. The mythical element is mainly found in the works pontifications of philosophers and theologians. However, the reality element is coming to resurface slowly due to the concerted efforts to document women’s accomplishments in history has finally been put to place” (Bell 1). Women were stereotyped in the olden times as inferior over men because of the domesticated role they were forced to portray. Hence, the effect of this misconception was overturned during the Renaissance Period. The role of a female gender is no longer limited as nurturing, inspirational and non-conformist as women began to consistently strive for their own autonomy and equality with men and marked their own place in history during the later years of the 19th century. Bibliography: Bell, Susan G.Women: From the Greeks to The French Revolution. Standford California: Stanford Press. 1973. Print. Capellanus, Andreas. The Art of Courtly Love. New York: Columbia University Press.1964. Print. Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Print. Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy. Mary Wollstonecraft. 2010. Date retrieved: February 26, 2011(http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/wollstonecraft/) The History Guide. Lectures on Modern European Intellectual History Mary Wollstonecraft. August 2, 2009. Date retrieved: Feb. 27,2011(http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/wollstonecraft.html) Wollstonecraft, Mary. A Vindication of the Rights of a Woman with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects. Boston: Peter Edes for Thomas and Andrews. 1792. Print. Read More