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Post by ghulamcontractor on Nov 18, 2015 22:19:27 GMT
When reading Jane Eyre, it is highly important to keep in mind that Victorian wives were not just angels and monsters. Many women tried to be an angel due to the times, but not many succeeded. I found The Reality of Female Life especially interesting, because it talks more about this. Surprisingly, even the most respected woman would have little legal rights. After marriage, women would be "covered" by the husbands commands. All their choices would be dictated by their husbands.The writers at the time called marriage "civil death" due to the many rights that were taken away from women. In the 19th, and even the 20th century, women were not allowed to own property. In their will, husbands could leave an estate and inheritance (which may have been their wife's) in another person's name. If the husband died without making a will, then only very little of the wealth was left for the wife. It is quite amazing to see how far we have come as a society to further establish rights that women deserve. However, cruel treatment of women still goes on today. Even now, we see domestic violence and abuse at homes. In work environments, sometimes women get paid less than men. Will this ever end? Will we continue to address the rights people deserve and become a better and more accepting society? What do you guys think?
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Post by margaretpalko on Nov 19, 2015 1:55:39 GMT
Hey Ghulam, I really like your ideas. I see your point on how women were treated in that time period in connection to today. I agree that women are treated unfairly to a certain extent with pay and such, but I think the US as a country has excelled much further than other countries around the world. Sadly, we still have women who do not even have the right to be educated. I know that one of the most common questions in our century is "Will women ever be equal to men?" and while I would like to say yes, of course, I can't. We are always moving forward, which is important and good, but we will always have opposition to something; whether that be women having equal pay, or gay rights being accepted by everyone. But as a whole, I think we are moving towards a better future.
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Post by Stephen Eubanks on Nov 20, 2015 2:00:28 GMT
I agree with what you said when talking about how we as a society have advanced to the position of giving women their rights. They not only deserve these rights now, but also deserved them years ago in the Victorian era. As you mentioned though, women today still have issues when it comes to their rights being equal to men. It is still important to see these acts in society as unfair against women, although women's rights have made a large leap of progress since the Victorian days and is not as discriminating towards women now. Like you mentioned in your paragraph, we can't look away from the things in today's society that still give an over looming sense of inequality among genders such as domestic violence and differing wages based on gender in a work environment. Yes, I do agree, based on the progress made to women's rights since the Victorian era, that as we move on in the future we will continue to be more accepting.
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Post by juliamann on Nov 20, 2015 2:25:50 GMT
Ghulam, I really like your ideas on women’s lives both in the Victorian Era and today. Wondering if sexism in our world will ever be resolved is a very complicated question. Obviously, women are not equal to men socially or economically and it is difficult to imagine such a large problem being solved. I personally think that putting women into more leadership positions can help realize the importance of women. Worldwide, women make up about 60% of college graduates, but only 3% of leadership positions. Women holding the same type of social/workplace power as men sets a very potent example for gender equality. These positions were not seen in the Victorian Era, and thus Jane Eyre, which is why it’s important for us as a modern society to place women equal to men in career and political power. This is just one example of a way that women can be equal to men. Unfortunately, the biggest issue with sexism is that it is directly tied to other issues in our world, such as racism, homophobia, etc. For example, sexism cannot be solved if women of color are not be treated as equals to white women and men. This means that for women to truly be equal to men, they must be equal in all ways. It seems impossible for all of these problems to be solved, but as long as individuals try to be accepting to everyone, our society will eventually get there.
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Post by gabi.eglinton on Nov 21, 2015 17:13:46 GMT
My history homework is in front of me as I type this! On the page right in front of me are "People to Know" from this era, and I'm realizing many of the women in America were thinking the same things as European females like Jane Eyre. Most notable is probably Susan B. Anthony, who as we know was a very outspoken voice in gaining women's rights. She campaigned for equality and was often ridiculed for it. Jane Eyre wasn't seeking equality for all women everywhere; she simply wanted to expand her personal freedoms a little bit. This may not seem radical to us today (especially with U.S. history boasting suffragettes like Susan) but at the time it was preposterous to consider a little freedom in Europe. At a time when women are taking to the streets across the US, Jane is locked up in a Gothic Manor. Her strong feelings are understandable, really. Jane was not suited for her setting but she learned to adapt anyway.
and #JuliaMannforpresident2k16
ALSO WORTH NOTING: According to my notes, Susan B. Anthony died in Rochester, NY. That's right. ROCHESTER. Coincidence? I think not.
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Post by ghulamcontractor on Nov 21, 2015 21:38:25 GMT
My history homework is in front of me as I type this! On the page right in front of me are "People to Know" from this era, and I'm realizing many of the women in America were thinking the same things as European females like Jane Eyre. Most notable is probably Susan B. Anthony, who as we know was a very outspoken voice in gaining women's rights. She campaigned for equality and was often ridiculed for it. Jane Eyre wasn't seeking equality for all women everywhere; she simply wanted to expand her personal freedoms a little bit. This may not seem radical to us today (especially with U.S. history boasting suffragettes like Susan) but at the time it was preposterous to consider a little freedom in Europe. At a time when women are taking to the streets across the US, Jane is locked up in a Gothic Manor. Her strong feelings are understandable, really. Jane was not suited for her setting but she learned to adapt anyway. and #JuliaMannforpresident2k16 ALSO WORTH NOTING: According to my notes, Susan B. Anthony died in Rochester, NY. That's right. ROCHESTER. Coincidence? I think not. Gabbie, Mr. Rochester is illuminati? And yes, Julia for president is an excellent idea.
Back to the topic though... Margaret, Stephen, and Julia, all three of you have amazing ideas. Based on all your posts, I agree we are moving towards a better future. It's happening slowly, but the effects are there. It still is amazing to see how Bronte, during a time of ignorance, made a female character that was able to shape her future even though she was born a poor orphan with nobody really supporting her till later in life. I agree with you Gabbie. Jane's character was made to adapt, making her role perfect to show the strength of women. Not only that, but the events in Jane Eyre totally are believable and could happen, aside from things like hearing Mr. Rochester's voice from thousands of miles away calling out to you. It sparked my curiosity, and apparently the book has events based on Bronte's experiences? I am not sure how accurate that is, but it is believable, considering how the women and people of the lower class were during the Victorian era.
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