Womens Rights in the 19th Century and Now Essay - 755 Words

It would be a huge understatement to say that many things have changed when it comes to womens rights, positions, and roles in our society today since the 19th century. Actually, very few similarities remain. Certain family values, such as specific aspects of domesticity and performance of family duties are amongst the only similarities still present. Victorian women had several hardships to overcome. Education, marriage, leisure, and travel amongst other things were limited and controlled. A woman was never to travel if not in the company of her parents or husband. Leisure, for example, was limited and a woman always had to look busy and find something to do. They did not have the right to vote, sue or own any property. Their bodies†¦show more content†¦This resulted in her share of criticism from the media and her readers. In a time when it was expected of a woman to behave a certain way and sexual desire was considered something only experienced by men, Kate Chopin spoke with exceptional openness about human sexuality. She then criticized society for its close-mindedness. She helped to generate enlightened attitudes among both the women and men of her time. By not only admitting the fact that a woman has strong sexual desires, but also glorifying it, Chopin opened doors to better communication and understanding between men and women as a result of The Storm. This has changed significantly since the 19th century. Sex, amongst others, is no longer taboo to women and it has become a much more liberated subject. It is encouraged and accepted in todays society that a woman enjoys sexual pleasures outside the restraints of only pregnancy, even marriage. Women in the Victorian era had very little to say when it came to marriage. Usually, the parents of the woman would make the choice for her as to whom she would marry based on a mans social status. It was not odd for a 15-year-old girl to wed, unlike in todays society. Parents would usually look for a man who was wealthy enough to help the woman advance in her life, since women were mostly uneducated and only taught to be homemakers and mothers and not work. Women were dealt with as if they were objects, andShow MoreRelatedDeclaration of Independence and the Beginning of Womens Rights Movement in America1226 Words   |  5 PagesOver two centuries ago, a document was written that announced the independence of the thirteen colonies from Great Britain. That document, The Declaration of Independence, indicated that a new country was born, oppression in the New World would come to an end and new-found individual freedoms for citizens of America would become a reality. Thomas Jefferson ideals expressed in The Declaration of Independence was a stepping stone to the foundation of America. Many of Jefferson’s ideals expressedRead MoreGilman s The 19th Century959 Words   |  4 Pages Gilman’s audiences in the 19th century were bizarre to read such a book like Herland. Nobody really expected to read a novel about a world of only women and given male abilities. Women’s lives in the 19th century were not always as easy. They faced inequality, abuse, expectations and stereotypes. Gilman did not just wanted to write Herland for women, but wanted both genders to treat each other equally and have respect. It’s sadly to say but the stereotypes, unequally and expectationsRead MoreWomen s Rights Movement And The Demand For Women Suffrage1650 Words   |  7 PagesThe woman s rights movement and the demand for woman suffrage emerged in the first half of the 19th century from a variety of other movements. A major goal of the woman s rights movement was to change public opinion regarding women s capacities and rights. Suffrage was one of several reforms intended to end the significant legal, political, religious, and cultural discriminations against nineteenth century women. Suffrage became the primary goal of the woman s rights movement during the 1850sRead More Role of Women During and After the Age of Revolutions Essay1727 Words   |  7 Pagesaccording to the productive nature of their particular household, for example in agricultural areas daughters would often help with dairying, poultry, or the making of food and cloth. The very first time women began to ban together for the same rights that men have was during the French Revolution. Everything was being questioned in France then, and for the first time, women were doing some of the questioning. Why couldnt women vote? Why couldnt women hold public office? Why were women expectedRead MoreThe National Women s Party1515 Words   |  7 PagesThe National Women’s Party also known as N.W.P was an American Women’s organization formed in 1916 as an outgrowth of the congressional union which in turn was formed in 1913 by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns to fight women’s suffrage ignoring all other issues. These two women strongly felt that women all over the world need rights in general and that women did not get the same rights as men did. This was at a time when all the women could not vote but men could. At this time women cooked, cleaned andRead MoreWomen’s Roles in the Late 19th Century1599 Words   |  6 Pagesand never have I stumbled on such an amazing place full of live history. I say live history because all the documents and books that are held in the archive are all preserved originals, which fascinated me. Thinking how people who lived more than century ago wrote and read the same things I’m writing and reading about excited me to my very soul. Archive research though fascinating is not an easy task that can be done in within fifteen minutes like how researches are done these days using convenientRead MoreWomen s Rights Rebellion : Should Women Have All The Rights That Men Do?1511 Words   |  7 PagesSyrene Ball Mrs. Blomme Honors I 3 October 2014 Women’s Rights Rebellion Should women have all the rights that men do? Today many people would say yes to this question, some women would be offended by this question, and some men would joke about this question. However, for decades this question has caused much controversy. Many years ago, women had different expectations and much less freedom than they have now, but eventually they decided that was not the way they should be living. There areRead MoreEssay on The Women770 Words   |  4 Pages The womens suffrage party fought for years on the right to vote. They werent going to stop until they got their right. For instance, Alice Paul organized a parade through Washington D.C. on inauguration day, which supported womens suffrage and also picketed the White House for 18 months. Paul was put in jail for that and started a hunger strike. Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Shanton supported the womens suffrage for fifty years later. Neither of them lived to see the 19th amendment ratifiedRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography : Womens Rights1517 Words   |  7 PagesAnnotated Bibliography: Womens Rights Loveday, Veronica. Feminism the Womens Rights Movement. Feminism the Womens Rights Movement, 8/1/2017, p. 1. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=prhAN=17989370site=ehost-live. In her report, Veronica Loveday writes about Women’s Rights Movement, during World War two, and many restrictions women faced. Women’s rights movement in the U.S. begun in the 1960s as a reaction to the decades of unfair social and civil inequitiesRead MoreHistory of the Evolution of Womens Rights Essay947 Words   |  4 PagesUntil the mid-19th century, women were considered possessions of their husbands, and had no control over their money or property. Thanks to the women’s right movement, this has all changed and things run a little differently now. Spouses are now equal under the law and property is shared between them. In the common law, all women’s property except land and improvements went to her husband and it became under his control. â€Å"She† pretty much had no say in what happened to any of her things. Women were