Gender in 19th century Britain

Summary

This script discusses the evolution of middle-class women's education in the 19th century, focusing on how it prepared them for marriage and societal expectations. It highlights the importance of learning accomplishments like French and piano, as well as the dangers of becoming overly educated, labeled as 'blue stocking.' The script also touches on the paradox of being both attractive and modest, the impractical fashions like the krinolin that confined women, and the struggles of intelligent women like Florence Nightingale and Elizabeth Barrett Browning against societal roles.

Takeaways

• 🏡 Middle-class girls in the 19th century were expected to lead a different kind of life, focusing on acquiring skills to prepare them for marriage.
• 🎓 The education for these girls included learning accomplishments such as conversational French, piano playing, and dancing, which were traditionally associated with upper-class women.
• 📚 While middle-class girls were encouraged to read and expand their minds, there was a fear that too much education could make them 'blue stockings', which was seen as undesirable for marriage prospects.
• 🚫 The script highlights the double bind that girls faced: they needed to be attractive to secure a good marriage, but not so much that they appeared to have sexual desires.
• 👗 Fashion played a significant role in defining middle-class womanhood, with impractical styles like the crinoline emerging as women retreated from the workforce.
• 🚫 The crinoline was symbolic of keeping women in their place, as it made it difficult for them to perform practical tasks or move freely in public spaces.
• 🤯 The constraints of the era led to feelings of suffocation and hysteria among some young women, like Florence Nightingale, who longed for a more public role.
• 📝 Some women, like Elizabeth Barrett, found creative ways to pursue their intellectual passions, such as becoming a 'professional invalid' to escape household duties and write poetry.
• 💑 The story of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning illustrates how some women managed to break free from societal expectations and pursue personal happiness.
• 🌍 The script suggests that the restrictive roles of women were not only a domestic issue but also had global implications, as seen in the decision of Barrett and Browning to move to Italy.

Q & A

What was the primary aim for middle-class women during the 19th century?

The primary aim for middle-class women during the 19th century was to get married to a solvent, healthy man whom their parents approved of.

What new set of skills were middle-class girls expected to learn to prepare for their future life?

Middle-class girls were expected to learn accomplishments such as conversational French, playing the piano, dancing, and more subtle social skills like proper behavior and managing their physical presence.

What was the term used to describe a woman who was considered to know too much or read too widely?

A woman who was considered to know too much or read too widely was referred to as a 'blue stocking'.

Why was it considered undesirable for middle-class women to become 'blue stockings'?

It was considered undesirable because 'blue stockings' were seen as overly intellectual and masculine, which was not attractive to potential husbands, and some even believed it could have negative physical effects.

How did the Victorian society view the balance between education and attractiveness for women?

The Victorian society emphasized the importance of women being educated enough to be interesting and lively in conversation, but not so much that they touched on serious subjects or appeared masculine.

What was the role of fashion in defining middle-class women's identity during the Victorian era?

Fashion played a significant role in defining middle-class women's identity, with impractical clothing like the krinolin emphasizing their social status and keeping them in their place.

What was the krinolin and how did it affect women's daily activities?

The krinolin was a hoop-shaped, bell-shaped skirt that made women take up an extraordinary shape while walking. It made daily activities difficult, as it was impractical for tasks like cleaning or traveling on public transport.

How did the expectations of the Victorian society constrain some middle-class women?

The expectations constrained some middle-class women by limiting their activities to domestic duties and social appearances, leading to feelings of suffocation and a desire for more meaningful work or public roles.

What challenges did Florence Nightingale face due to the societal expectations of her time?

Florence Nightingale faced constraints due to societal expectations, feeling suffocated by her well-to-do upbringing and longing for a more public role where she could make a difference.

How did Elizabeth Barrett manage to find time to write poetry despite her societal duties?

Elizabeth Barrett managed to find time to write poetry by becoming a 'professional invalid,' retreating to a room in her family home where she was exempt from normal household duties, allowing her to focus on reading and writing.

What was the significance of Elizabeth Barrett's move to Italy with Robert Browning?

The move to Italy with Robert Browning was significant as it symbolized Elizabeth Barrett's escape from her constraining life and the beginning of a new chapter where she could freely express herself and her work.

Outlines

00:00

👩‍🏫 Education and Expectations of Middle-Class Women in the 19th Century

This paragraph discusses the educational needs and societal expectations of middle-class girls in the 19th century. As middle-class families began to embrace the concept of gentility, girls were expected to lead a different kind of life, focusing on acquiring skills to prepare them for marriage. The aim was to marry well, so girls were taught accomplishments traditionally associated with upper-class women, such as conversational French, piano playing, and dancing. Additionally, they were taught subtle social skills like proper behavior and physical presence. However, there was a fine line; girls were expected to be educated but not overly intellectual, as it was believed that excessive learning could make them 'masculine' or undesirable for marriage. The fear was that they would become 'blue stockings,' a derogatory term for women who were overly knowledgeable. The paragraph also touches on the double bind of being sexually attractive without expressing sexual desire, referencing characters from Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' to illustrate the point. Finally, it discusses the impractical fashion trends that emerged as middle-class women retreated from the workforce, such as the krinolin, which physically restricted their movement and symbolized their societal confinement.

05:01

🌐 The Struggle for Personal Fulfillment in Victorian Society

The second paragraph delves into the constraints faced by young Victorian women and their quest for personal fulfillment. It highlights the case of Florence Nightingale, who, despite being intelligent and educated, felt suffocated by societal expectations and experienced bouts of hysteria due to the limitations placed on her life. Nightingale yearned for a more public role where she could make a difference, which was at odds with the traditional domestic life expected of women. Similarly, Elizabeth Barrett, a highly educated and talented poet, faced challenges in pursuing her literary ambitions within the confines of her upper-class family's expectations. To find time for her writing, she adopted the role of a chronic invalid, retreating to a room in her family home where she could read and write without the usual household duties. This strategy proved successful, as she produced some of her best work during this period. The paragraph also recounts the dramatic change in Barrett's health when she eloped with Robert Browning, suggesting that her previous ailments may have been psychosomatic, a response to the restrictive societal norms of the time.

Keywords

💡Middle class

The term 'middle class' refers to the social group that falls between the working class and the upper class in terms of income, education, and social status. In the video, the middle class is discussed in the context of changing expectations for women's roles and education. The script mentions that middle-class girls needed a new kind of education to prepare them for a life that was different from their mothers', who were typically involved in housework and family businesses.

💡Gentility

Gentility refers to the refined manners, taste, and behavior expected of a person from a higher social class. The script discusses how the concept of middle-class gentility began to take hold in the 19th century, leading to a shift in the expectations of how middle-class women should behave and present themselves, including learning accomplishments like playing the piano and speaking French.

💡Accomplishments

Accomplishments in this context refer to the skills or talents that a woman of the middle class was expected to possess, such as playing an instrument, speaking a foreign language, or dancing. These were seen as essential for social interaction and to make a good marriage. The script mentions that middle-class girls were taught these accomplishments to prepare them for a life that was more focused on social activities and marriage.

💡Blue stocking

A 'blue stocking' was a term used to describe a woman who was intellectual and well-read, often to the point of being seen as overly educated or masculine. The script warns against middle-class girls becoming blue stockings, as it was believed that this would make them less attractive for marriage. It was feared that excessive learning could lead to a loss of femininity and even physical changes that would be unappealing to potential husbands.

💡Victorian

The term 'Victorian' refers to the culture and values of the United Kingdom during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901). The script discusses various Victorian ideals, particularly those related to women's roles and behavior. It mentions the double bind that women faced: they were expected to be educated and interesting in conversation but not so much as to delve into serious subjects or appear masculine.

💡Korinolin

The 'Korinolin' or crinoline was a type of skirt with a stiff hoop that expanded the diameter of the skirt dramatically. The script describes how the crinoline became a symbol of impractical fashion for middle-class women, making it difficult for them to perform household tasks or even move around in public spaces comfortably. It was seen as a physical manifestation of the constraints placed on women's roles and activities.

💡Sexual attractiveness

Sexual attractiveness refers to the quality of being appealing or desirable in a sexual way. The script discusses the emphasis on a woman's physical appearance as a key attribute in the marriage market. However, it also points out the double standard where a woman could be seen as too forward or undesirable if she appeared overly concerned with her looks or expressed sexual desire.

💡Double bind

A 'double bind' is a situation where a person faces two conflicting options, both of which are undesirable. The script uses the term to describe the difficult position women were in regarding their education and appearance. They were expected to be educated and attractive but not to the point of appearing masculine or overly sexual.

💡Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale was a prominent figure in the script, known for her work in nursing and as a statistician. The script describes her as feeling constrained by the expectations of her class and gender, which led to bouts of hysteria. Nightingale's story illustrates the broader theme of women struggling against societal roles and the desire to contribute to society in meaningful ways beyond the domestic sphere.

💡Elizabeth Barrett

Elizabeth Barrett was a 19th-century English poet mentioned in the script. She is used as an example of a woman who found the societal expectations of her time stifling. Barrett chose to become a 'professional invalid' to escape her family's expectations and find time to write poetry. Her story highlights the creativity and determination some women employed to pursue their passions despite the constraints of their era.

Highlights

Middle-class girls needed a new education for the changing lifestyle from the 19th century onwards.

Girls were not involved in housework or their father's business, requiring new skills for life.

The main aim for middle-class women was to marry well, which required learning accomplishments.

Learning conversational French, piano, and dancing became essential for middle-class girls.

Girls were taught subtle social behaviors and physical presence management.

Middle-class girls were to be educated but not to the point of becoming 'blue stockings'.

Blue stockings were seen as women who knew too much, which was undesirable for marriage prospects.

There was a fear that too much education could make women appear more masculine.

The focus was on learning enough to be interesting but not delving too deeply into serious subjects.

The double bind of being sexually attractive but not overly concerned with one's looks was emphasized.

Fashion played a significant role in defining middle-class women, with impractical styles like the krinolin.

The krinolin, a hoop-shaped skirt, symbolized keeping women in their place.

Many Victorian women found the prescribed role constraining and suffocating.

Florence Nightingale felt constrained by her upper-class upbringing and longed for a public role.

Elizabeth Barrett, a great female poet, became 'professionally invalid' to find time for writing.

When Elizabeth Barrett met Robert Browning, she suddenly had no issues walking, symbolizing a break from her constrained life.

Transcripts

middle class girls needed a new kind of

education for the new kind of life that

they were leading once ideas about

middle- class gentility start to take

hold from the turn of the 19th century

onwards clearly girls are leading a

different kind of life um they are not

helping their mothers with the housework

they don't have servants to do that uh

their father's business will be at

several miles away from the home so

they're not going to be helping there um

they're at home all day um they need a

new set of skills to prepare them for

the for the life ahead the sole aim

really for middle class woman now is to

get married to a man hopefully one who

is solvent who's healthy um and who her

parents approve of so she's got to make

herself um attractive um and that means

learning particular kinds of

accomplishments the kind of

accomplishments that upper class girls

have always been taught but now

middleclass girls are being taught too

typically it's learning conversational

French it's learning how to play the

piano some dancing might be involved

there's also more subtle things she's

going to go into a world where she has

to learn how to how to behave and how to

manage her physical presence how to

stand up right not slouch how close do

you stand to other people what happens

when you need to be excused when you

need the bathroom how do you ask for

that as always with anything to do with

the victorians it wasn't quite as simple

as it seemed so middle class girls were

certainly supposed to be educated in the

sense that they were supposed to read to

expand their minds but wo beti if they

became blue stock that was the the worst

thing now a blue stocking is somebody is

a is a young woman who simply knows too

much stuff who reads too widely who

cares too much about what she reads who

starts to sort of take over the kind of

role that expected of a young man in the

sense of she wants to argue about

politics at dinner um she suddenly wants

to start reading the classics in the

original languages Latin Greek and

heaven forbid even Hebrew that's the

kind of girl as far as middle-class

victorians are concerned that knows

sensible man is going to want to marry

um she's made herself masculine some

doctors believe that quite literally the

the more a girl read um the more

masculine her appearance um she would

start to look Hollow cheeked um

something very unpleasant would happen

to her ovaries she would start to become

a kind of desiccated spinster um so the

emphasis was on learning but not too

much learning um of of of being able to

speak to anybody in a in a kind of

interesting and Lively way but to never

touch too deeply on serious subjects uh

the tension also comes across of course

with the with the whole kind of terrible

double bind about being sexually

attractive there's an immense emphasis

on how a girl looks of course there is

that's one of the main qualities she

brings to the marketplace is she pretty

that's terribly important but woe beti

her if she thinks too much about her

looks that heaven forbid you know

they're starting to express a kind of

sexual desire and I think you can see

that very much work if you think of Jane

Austin's Pride and Prejudice the two

younger sisters Kitty and Lydia who are

held up I think for our if not our

Judgment at least are s of pity uh in

the sense that they have become foolish

girls far too concerned with what they

look like and as we know in the case of

Lydia it it happens it comes to a very

very sticky

end fashion played in a very large part

in defining what it meant to be a

middleclass woman and interestingly at

the point at which middle class women

Retreat into the home um that and not

involved in any kind of profitable labor

is the moment when women's Fashions

become incredibly impractical so from uh

the late 1840s onwards we see the

development of the famous krinolin which

is an extraordinary kind of hoop-shaped

bell-shaped skirt that sticks out

several feet all the way around around

so that uh women make the most

extraordinary shape as they walk along

and of course if you're wearing a kralin

you can't really do anything that's

terribly useful you certainly can't go

down on your hands and knees and scrub

the floor um nor can you very easily get

on it on a train or on a bus um you know

because basically you'll take up three

seats the kralin is a kind of mechanism

designed for keeping women in their

place literally

it's plenty of evidence that individual

young Victorian women found this role

that had been foed on them incredibly

constraining um incredibly kind of

suffocating indeed Florence Nightingale

very very clever intelligent educated

young woman uh suffered bouts of of near

hysteria throughout her her teens and

early 20s because she felt so

constrained by the very well-to-do very

loving home from which she'd come it was

very nice but she didn't have enough to

do she longed to have um a more public

theater in which she could do good works

in which she could make a difference and

so she recounts horrible experiences of

not being able to eat in front of her

family um you know just can't bear being

looked at while she's eating uh a sense

in which she she's sure that her tongue

is too big for her mouth all the sort of

classic signs of Hysteria um and then

you have people like Elizabeth Barrett

who who also very educated very clever

young woman in this case she doesn't

want to go out and do good works she

wants to write poetry she is the

greatest female poet of the 19th century

but where do you write poetry if you are

from a again another very well-healed

family you are expected as Elizabeth's

sisters were to lead a kind of life

where you're spending a lot of time um

organizing the servants making morning

calls looking after your widowed father

so where is Elizabeth going to find time

to write this extraordinary verse well

what she does of course is she becomes

ill uh she becomes a sort of

professional invalid she withdraws to a

room at the top of the house in wimple

Street where she lives with her family

and she makes herself into somebody

who's sort of outside the normal run of

the household she's not expected to do

the kinds of Duties that are expected of

her sister um she has long hours where

she can just please herself reading and

writing and it works brilliantly for her

um during that time she writes some of

her best poetry and in a sense we we

know that this was a a sub diffus

although it was probably unconscious she

probably didn't realize what she was

doing by the fact that when a very

handsome young poet called Robert

Browning strikes up a friendship with

her um and persuades her to escape to

Italy suddenly she has no problems

walking at all she manages to sneak out

of the household get married and then a

few weeks later they're off to Italy and

there's no sign of never being able to

walk after that