A gender role is what society makes believe of what a female or a male should be like. Giving them the norms of what they should be and act like. Being stereotypes that people use to define masculinity, and femininity.
Gender Roles in the Early 18th Century
Some of the Stereotypes:
Men
Powerful
Logical Individual Independent |
Women
Weak
Domesticated Dependent Private |
During the Victorian Era, men and society had high standards for women. Standards such as; women taking care of the children and being there for when the men needed them. Once they were married they were basically property and their past was forgotten. The stereotype was that women needed a man to sustain her. It was hard for a woman to find work back then. If lucky, the lower class women could be; servants, domestic help, factory workers, prostitutes etc. Middle/upper class women could help in family business, the society/economy enforced woman to be home. They could not own property, or work in the fields. They could most certainly not work.
Victorian women back then had to play the role of a very womanly figure. Victorian women had to fit the image of a tiny waist and big busted figure. They had to accept marriages and stick to them because if
you did not then you would be seen as a wicked woman,Then men would not want to marry you because of your past actions. Once a woman was to be married, she would carry her husband's identity. The men worked/took care and provided for his family. Becoming a mother in the Victorian era was beautiful thing to society's eyes, it was an honor to become a mother. Women were valued more in society by their actions. If they were good wife's/good mothers, they were the perfect image.
Victorian women back then had to play the role of a very womanly figure. Victorian women had to fit the image of a tiny waist and big busted figure. They had to accept marriages and stick to them because if
you did not then you would be seen as a wicked woman,Then men would not want to marry you because of your past actions. Once a woman was to be married, she would carry her husband's identity. The men worked/took care and provided for his family. Becoming a mother in the Victorian era was beautiful thing to society's eyes, it was an honor to become a mother. Women were valued more in society by their actions. If they were good wife's/good mothers, they were the perfect image.
Gender Roles Today
Not only were gender roles a stereotype but it was a “law” or rule that society was to live by, and it was very unequal in many ways.
Careers are where gender roles are at their best. Men seem to have better jobs than women, in a workplace men are at a higher positions than women . In the early century women were to stay at home, their job was to make the home look good and take care of the children. Some of those stereotypes still exists today, but women have many more jobs than they did before. As women became prominent in the workplace: sexual, physical, and verbal harassment attacked those women. Now there are laws that make it wrong to discriminate women in the workplace. Women still experience it, but it has slowly been decreasing.
In society, stay at home parents are usually women, because traditions from ages before, were women did not work, they were to keep the house in order. Though the situation is now less than it was before, it still exists. Women stay at home to watch the house and to take care of the kids. It is not a bad stereotype, but it is separating the women from the men. Putting women at a lower level than men so that job positions for women are lower because they do not get as many jobs.
Racial ethnicity effects how some women are treated and what they are given in job opportunities. Statistics from catalyst .org show that only 5% of African American women get management or professional positions, Asian women 3%, and Latina women 4%. Not only does gender play an effect, but racial gender roles effect and make this situation look worse.
The workplace is a big place where gender roles take place but its not the only place where gender is used against women. It also happens on the field , the court, the pool, etc. Many sports have been dominated by men, society has made the gender role that men were made competitive, strong, and hard working. Now in the 21st century, sports are now mostly co ed, giving women a chance to compete. Sports have been more and more competitive not only girl vs. girl, but boy vs. girl. Men being competitive makes this a challenge for everybody. Women's push to be equal has made a very big difference in modern society today, not only are they more appreciated, they have more respect.
Men were the "dominating" gender for many years the lead to abuse, segregation, and inequality for women. These things can affected the way women are looked at by people, women pushed to be treated as equal, as men.
Careers are where gender roles are at their best. Men seem to have better jobs than women, in a workplace men are at a higher positions than women . In the early century women were to stay at home, their job was to make the home look good and take care of the children. Some of those stereotypes still exists today, but women have many more jobs than they did before. As women became prominent in the workplace: sexual, physical, and verbal harassment attacked those women. Now there are laws that make it wrong to discriminate women in the workplace. Women still experience it, but it has slowly been decreasing.
In society, stay at home parents are usually women, because traditions from ages before, were women did not work, they were to keep the house in order. Though the situation is now less than it was before, it still exists. Women stay at home to watch the house and to take care of the kids. It is not a bad stereotype, but it is separating the women from the men. Putting women at a lower level than men so that job positions for women are lower because they do not get as many jobs.
Racial ethnicity effects how some women are treated and what they are given in job opportunities. Statistics from catalyst .org show that only 5% of African American women get management or professional positions, Asian women 3%, and Latina women 4%. Not only does gender play an effect, but racial gender roles effect and make this situation look worse.
The workplace is a big place where gender roles take place but its not the only place where gender is used against women. It also happens on the field , the court, the pool, etc. Many sports have been dominated by men, society has made the gender role that men were made competitive, strong, and hard working. Now in the 21st century, sports are now mostly co ed, giving women a chance to compete. Sports have been more and more competitive not only girl vs. girl, but boy vs. girl. Men being competitive makes this a challenge for everybody. Women's push to be equal has made a very big difference in modern society today, not only are they more appreciated, they have more respect.
Men were the "dominating" gender for many years the lead to abuse, segregation, and inequality for women. These things can affected the way women are looked at by people, women pushed to be treated as equal, as men.
What About Jane Eyre?
Throughout the whole novel of Jane Eyre, you can clearly see how Jane makes feminist statement. She does not show as much characteristics of being an example of a Victorian woman, but she still shows that the Victorian women lives within her.
"Ere I had finished this replay my soul began to expand, to exult with the strangest sense of freedom, of triumph, I ever felt. It seemed as if an invisible bond had burst, and that I had struggled out into unhoped-for liberty" (Bronte Pg.46) Freedom back then was not easy to acquire. Jane felt this freedom, was important, she got courage to stand up against some to society's believes at a such young age. Where woman were not expected to stand up for themselves. Jane confronted Mrs. Reed, living in that house with her three cruel cousins.
Jane showed how independent she was. She did not need a man to sustain her. She waited for the day she could get out of Mrs. Reed's house and begin to live her life on her own. She became governess at Mr. Rochester's house, who later on begged for her hand in marriage. She declined because she thought her freedom would be lost in getting married with him. She thought right because men back then had the total control of women and she wanted to be independent herself. She later ran away and met St. John Rivers who proposed to her as well. Jane thought of it for awhile because his intentions seemed good to her. Not all though, she could not tolerate this marriage without love. She loved him, but as a brother nothing more. In everything Jane decided on, she took in notice what god had to say to it. She put her fate in god's hand. Not a man or woman.
Many women back then only wanted money, a house, and a good name in society, unlike Jane any other women would have surely taken proposal in marriage. Jane, not following the traditional Victorian woman, she neglected. Mr. Rochester kept on insisting on buying her things. "Oh sir! Never mind jewels! I don't like to hear them spoken of. Jewels for Jane Eyre sounds unnatural and strange; I would rather not have them". (Bronte Pg.302) "Glad was I to get him out of the silk warehouse, and then out of the jeweler's shop; the more he bought me, the more my cheek burned with a sense of annoyance and degradation". (Bronte Pg. 313) This shows how Jane does not care for such thing. She does not care for money, unlike Mrs. Ingram. Mrs. Ingra wanted to marry Mr. Rochester for his wealth.
"Ere I had finished this replay my soul began to expand, to exult with the strangest sense of freedom, of triumph, I ever felt. It seemed as if an invisible bond had burst, and that I had struggled out into unhoped-for liberty" (Bronte Pg.46) Freedom back then was not easy to acquire. Jane felt this freedom, was important, she got courage to stand up against some to society's believes at a such young age. Where woman were not expected to stand up for themselves. Jane confronted Mrs. Reed, living in that house with her three cruel cousins.
Jane showed how independent she was. She did not need a man to sustain her. She waited for the day she could get out of Mrs. Reed's house and begin to live her life on her own. She became governess at Mr. Rochester's house, who later on begged for her hand in marriage. She declined because she thought her freedom would be lost in getting married with him. She thought right because men back then had the total control of women and she wanted to be independent herself. She later ran away and met St. John Rivers who proposed to her as well. Jane thought of it for awhile because his intentions seemed good to her. Not all though, she could not tolerate this marriage without love. She loved him, but as a brother nothing more. In everything Jane decided on, she took in notice what god had to say to it. She put her fate in god's hand. Not a man or woman.
Many women back then only wanted money, a house, and a good name in society, unlike Jane any other women would have surely taken proposal in marriage. Jane, not following the traditional Victorian woman, she neglected. Mr. Rochester kept on insisting on buying her things. "Oh sir! Never mind jewels! I don't like to hear them spoken of. Jewels for Jane Eyre sounds unnatural and strange; I would rather not have them". (Bronte Pg.302) "Glad was I to get him out of the silk warehouse, and then out of the jeweler's shop; the more he bought me, the more my cheek burned with a sense of annoyance and degradation". (Bronte Pg. 313) This shows how Jane does not care for such thing. She does not care for money, unlike Mrs. Ingram. Mrs. Ingra wanted to marry Mr. Rochester for his wealth.