G+Block+Women+Group+3

 by Soojin Kim

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During the Victorian era, British women in general were regarded as the subordinates of men but their roles and rights differed from their age and social status. Teenage girls had to make preparations to be married since marriage was the career for women. In order to get ready for courtship and marriage, they were educated French, singing, painting, dancing, or playing an instrument, which could help them to get a better suitor. Furthermore, there were compulsory qualities for young women as well as married women; women were required to be innocent, virtuous, dutiful, and skillful. Women’s bodies were described with the words love and purity - thus, they could not be utilized for pleasurable sex. As women’s bodies were seen as the property of men, prostitution was violating the wishes of her husband. Women were considered more beautiful without any cosmetics and adornments. Also they Even after they got married, the middle and lower class women still had limited rights in Victorian society. They were not allowed to vote, sue, or own property. They were to devote their entire lives to their families. Their responsibility centered on family commitments. Making meals, sewing clothes, doing chores were some of the daily duties of middle and lower class Victorian women. They also needed to ensure that the house was a place of comfort for both husband and children. Some of the lower-class women worked in order to support their husbands. For lower class women, another employment was a domestic service. Most of them worked in the factories or clothing industries. Also a lot of them entered into jobs of professions, such as medicine, journalism, and law. Compared to the lives of middle and lower class women, the woman of elite class had all the amenities. Dancing was the most popular leisure activity of women of the higher social class. Wealthy women spent most of their time reading, receiving guests, writing letters and dressing as a husband’s social representative. The only thing that they were responsible for was to raise children. They were supposed to order their servants to do chores. Education did not take significant part in Victorian women's lives and women were unnecessary to attend university. However, subjects such as history, geography, and literature were extremely important since they were required to know things that are essential to raise their children. All of their dresses resembled in a way that all of them had similar elements such as V waists, bell sleeves, layering of trims, and engageantes, which was detachable under-sleeves made from lace. 
 * Works Cited** 

Pauline, Thomas. "A Woman's Place in 19th Victorian History." //Fashion-era//. n.d. Web. 15 Feb 2010. Nickson, Helen. "Life of Women in the Victorian Era." //Ezinearticles.// n.d. Web. 15 Feb 2010.
 * Citations for pictures **

//Vintage Victorian Mosaic.// 2004. //Flickr.com//. Web. 15 Feb 2010. //Rivto: Men, Women and animals in the Victorian era//. 2008. //LIB.ARTS.RDB//. Web. 15 Feb 2010 Pauline, Thomas. //Early Victorian Costume and Fashion History//. 2005. //Fashion-era//. Web. 15 Feb 2010


 * Further Research **

1. http://www.victorianweb.org/index.html

This site can be considered as a reliable source in many ways. This website seems to be the most accurate and official site which contains specific information about the Victorian society. This information will be useful for the ones who is looking for various information about the history of the Victorian era and its significance. There is a guide in the website; what makes this website even more trustworthy is that this website is founded by George P. Landow, professor of English and Art History in Brown University and he allows the public to use texts and images for any educational purposes as people meet the conditions, giving the readers clear information about the author. This site shares a mirror site which is hosted by Nagoya University in Japan. In addition, this site has received numerous awards for its useful contents.

Awards link: http://www.victorianweb.org/misc/prizes.html

2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/victorian_britain/women_home/ideals_womanhood_01.shtml

BBC is considered as a reliable source since it provides the readers with accurate information. Thus all of the contents included in the history section of BBC are also trustworthy information. This website is open to all readers and the website clearly states its purpose, which is to enrich people's lives with programmes that inform, educate and entertain. Also on the bottom it states that the BBC is governed by the BBC Trust.