Post by rmay99 on Nov 19, 2015 1:17:30 GMT
In the Victorian Age, there was a specific dichotomy of women, specifically angel vs. whore. Women were seen on two opposite sidesnof the spectrum. The woman who bowed down to men while being a "perfect little church girl" was seen as the ideal woman of the time. She was weak and needed a man to sustain herself. On the other hand, there was the whore or "madwoman." She was very promiscuous, lacked religion, and disobeyed men.
One of the most important aspects which causes a strife between the two is that of purity and sexual activity. Purity of the ideal woman further illustrates the idea of a woman being "a delicate little angel." On the other hand, the madwoman was very sexually active, moving from man to man and relying on sex for appreciation. The idea of this woman being untamed and unruly helps build the character of "insane tramp."
Another big aspect with furthered the dichotomy while emphasizing the two sides of the spectrum was that of religion. The angelic woman was a very avid churchgoer, she knew her Bible while living by its principles, and she was overall a very loving person. Like purity, this aspect further illustrated how much better the home-ridden, man-following woman was. On the other hand, the "slut" who did not follow a man and did not live like a normal woman was associated with atheism and lack of a religious backing. She had no grounds for morals and lacked strong faith thus furthering her "outcast of society" status.
All in all, the madwoman and model woman were very different in society's eyes. The woman who did not question but instead bowed down was glorified while the woman who questioned continually while attempting to be independent was a "madwoman." Ultimately, the ideas of purity and religion associated with each group, often untrue, caused people to quickly label women as inherently good or evil, stupid or smart. In an ironic way, the women who stood up were not truly appreciated for their efforts meanwhile the women who fell into the plight were respected.
One of the most important aspects which causes a strife between the two is that of purity and sexual activity. Purity of the ideal woman further illustrates the idea of a woman being "a delicate little angel." On the other hand, the madwoman was very sexually active, moving from man to man and relying on sex for appreciation. The idea of this woman being untamed and unruly helps build the character of "insane tramp."
Another big aspect with furthered the dichotomy while emphasizing the two sides of the spectrum was that of religion. The angelic woman was a very avid churchgoer, she knew her Bible while living by its principles, and she was overall a very loving person. Like purity, this aspect further illustrated how much better the home-ridden, man-following woman was. On the other hand, the "slut" who did not follow a man and did not live like a normal woman was associated with atheism and lack of a religious backing. She had no grounds for morals and lacked strong faith thus furthering her "outcast of society" status.
All in all, the madwoman and model woman were very different in society's eyes. The woman who did not question but instead bowed down was glorified while the woman who questioned continually while attempting to be independent was a "madwoman." Ultimately, the ideas of purity and religion associated with each group, often untrue, caused people to quickly label women as inherently good or evil, stupid or smart. In an ironic way, the women who stood up were not truly appreciated for their efforts meanwhile the women who fell into the plight were respected.
