While men strived for perfection, women had already reached an angelic sort of perfection. Women were thought to be helpless and soft, they were just a woman.Girls were sent to religious schools or finishing schools based on their social status. A woman had nothing other than marriage and child bearing to look forward to, most of their education consisted of learning how to care for children and household duties. Richard D. Altick states, "a woman was inferior to a man in all ways except the unique one that counted most [to a man]: her femininity." Her place was in the home, on a veritable pedestal if one could be afforded, and emphatically not in the world of affairs " (Altick 54). A woman interests also had to be in their men, whether it is their business or hobbies, a woman had to be eager to hear about his life. The biggest pressure a woman faced was being pure and angelic (Agress 169). A man would only marry a woman if she were pure and dependent on him. This being said, if a man ever took advantage of a girl or she had sex it would be shameful for a man to marry her, and she would most likely turn to prostitution. Prostitution, while being a horrible option, was sometimes all a female had if no man would marry her. Also, sexually females were thought to have no sexual urges and the thought of female organisms was nonexistent (Agress 171). .
David Copperfield and Jane Eyre had very similar childhoods, Jane was orphaned David lost his father, Jane lived in an abusive home, David lived in an abusive home, Jane was sent off to a boarding school and so was David. These are striking similarities but there are many specifics based on gender and wealth that send David and Jane down two different paths. David had a mother to raise him who was kind and affectionate; they took care of each other. Clara, his mother, went off and married Mr. Murdstone a strict cold man. He and his sister Miss Murdstone came in and took over the house telling Clara she was not strict enough on the child.