‘gender roles’ in the Victorian times

During the Victorian era of the late 19th century (1837-1901) women were expected to stay at home, always quiet, pure, cautious, always perfectly looking, never in a bad mood, a perfect accessoire for their husbands.

Men, in contrary, where expected to be the brave knights, defending their country and their women, standing upright in the society, working hard – the same perfect picture of men, as it always had been.

Feminists would describe it the following way:

The female gender role was constructed as an opposite to an ideal male role, and helps to perpetuate patriarchy.

which, in my opinion, regarding the distribution of roles, seems to be quite right:

Men as the head of the family, responsible for all social contacts, the men as the agressive part: strong, rational, always ready to fight, to defend; also the sexual active part belongs to their characteristics.

Women, on the other hand dependend and subdued to a male protector, only in charge of inner-familiar relationships, weak, emotional, irrational, compensating male aggressions, sexually passive or disinterested.

The uprising feminine movements in the mid-19th century, industrialization and, last but definitely not least both World Wars finally demanded from women, to leave their usual places in a defending position and step out of their passive role and actively support, their men, their country-finally! A task which, dead sure about thar, many women longed for quite a long time already. Instead of sitting at home in boredom actively taking part in the society they live in, they passively always supported, by supporting their men who officially held the society up.

Women’s voting rights in my opinion is one of the most outstanding, the most important step concernig gender roles and their transitions. In the UK full voting right was given to women on the 2nd , July 1928, at least one chance for women to decide what is going to happen, how their society is going to change.

 

All these aspects, boredom, always being pure and proper to represent their husbands,  might have been one of the reasons, for Olivia to run away, though being in India already gave her many more liberties, like for example visiting Khatm, having that many servants etc. , than she would have had if she had stayed in England.