In what ways does the Industrial Revolution affect the opportunities and constraints in women's lives in the 19th century?.
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In the 19th century women were expected to live in the home and be constrained to the affairs of the household and family (children, her husband). The average woman had no political influence she was dependant on her husband for nearly everything she needed or wanted to do. The thought that women were inferior to men manifested in the entire society, you saw examples of it in the class structure where rarely women were given identification, government positions- women were never found in control of anything, where you saw women were places that the men felt it was okay. There is one thing you must know, that women were never happy with these roles and throughout the 19th century women fought and struggled to be seen as equals. .
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Marriage and the family were important to the success of a woman. Often the ideals of femininity which were popularized by writers and poets drove women to change during this time. Lord Tennyson wrote a poem, "The Princess", it characterized men and women and their roles. The line that struck a nerve was, "Man to command and woman to obey;". That line sums the relationships of man and woman in that time period. This line disturbs me today, but it amazes me that the social norm was that exactly, men control the women. Without a doubt there were roles and they were defiend first and foremost by your gender. The Industrial Revol;ution had a large impact in the definition of roles in households. .
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The household would not have survived if it were not for the men, who went outside the home and worked (for a payed wage) to provide for the family. While the men were at a paid job the women stayed home to care for the family. The career for many women was to be a wife. Most women chose to marry although without a husband a woman could survive off the low wages they were paid but it was not generally accepted.
