The Influence Of Society On Victorian Relationships

Talia Bardash English Thesis Paper The Influence of Society on Victorian Relationships Afraid of rejection in the Victorian Era, men and women sought after relationships that agreed with the expectations set by society. Victorian literature satirized and underscored these expectations and their effects on individuals. During the Victorian Era relationships were not focused on the emotional aspect of marriage but rather growth in reputation and status. The characters in Oscar Wilde’s works, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray, display the consequences of the demanding expectations on the characters’ behaviors. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, examines the romantic marriage versus the familiar marriage that would strengthen social and monetary stature. Need closing sentence. The expectations that society and men had for women during the Victorian Era were onerous. They limited women from exploring and questioning ideas outside the realm of domesticity. Womens’ roles focused solely on getting married and taking part in advancing their husbands interests. The man was given, by society, an authoritative role over the household leaving very little or no room for women authority. Prior to marriage, the women, excluding those who were born to a wealthy or noble family, were trained in housewife skills such as cooking, cleaning and sewing. Wealthy women did not need to prepare for these tasks because they had maids and other servants take care ofShow MoreRelatedThe Influence Of Victorian Society On Relationships And Marriage1642 Words   |  7 PagesThe Influence of Victorian Society on Relationships and Marriage Marriage was of utmost importance during the 1830’s to the 1900’s. The â€Å"ideal† relationship had been searched for by both men and women using the standards that the commonwealth had created. 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