This paper examines the Victorian value of "The Angel in the House" and its implementation in everyday life. The introduction presents the idea of the "Angel in the House" as the ideal image of woman in the 19th century, influenced by Coventry Patmore's poem of 1858. The historical context sheds light on the Victorian era (1837-1901) and the social structures of the time.
Victorian values, in particular family, self-help, respectability and the role of men, are discussed. However, the focus is on the "angel in the house" who represents the ideal woman. The implementation of this ideal in the Victorian class system is considered in detail, differentiating the upper, middle, and working classes.
Particular emphasis is placed on the legal disadvantages of women in Victorian society, including the lack of property rights and the difficult conditions for divorce. The evolution of women's role over the past 30 years of Queen Victoria's reign is also analysed, emphasising the transition from "angel in the house" to "serving angel."
Queen Victoria's opinion on the "Angel in the House" and her attitude towards feminist movements are examined. Although Victoria is seen as a female leader, it turns out that she had anti-feminist views. The term paper ends with a summary and outlook on the current presence of Victorian ideals in 21st-century British society.
Overall, the work provides a deep insight into the social, legal and cultural aspects of the Victorian "Angel in the House" and identifies links to contemporary gender issues.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Historical context
3. Victorian values
3.1 The Family
3.2 Self-Help
3.3 Respectability
3.4 Middle-class Man and Husband
3.5 The “Angel in the House”
4. The “Angel in the House” in further detail
4.1 Background information to the “Angel in the House”
4.2 Implementation of the value throughout the Victorian class system
4.3 Women’s’ legal disadvantages in Victorian society
4.4 From “Angel in the House” to the “ministering angel” – Development of the middle-class woman’s role in the last 30 years of Victoria’s reign
4.5 Queen Victoria’s views towards the value
5. Summary and Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This paper explores the Victorian societal ideal of the "Angel in the House," analyzing how this construct of femininity shaped the lives of women across different social classes and how it evolved during the late 19th century under the influence of changing social roles and Queen Victoria's own perspective.
- Analysis of core Victorian values including family, self-help, and respectability.
- Examination of the class-specific implementation of the "Angel in the House" ideal.
- Discussion of the legal disadvantages faced by women in 19th-century Britain.
- Investigation into the emergence of the "ministering angel" archetype through the nursing profession.
- Evaluation of Queen Victoria's anti-feminist position and its impact on gender discourse.
- Comparison of Victorian gender roles with modern societal attitudes in 21st-century Britain.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2.1 Upper class
Practically, the idea of the “Angel in the House” applied differently to each class of the Victorian society. Beginning with the upper class, the typical lady belonging to this category was not welcomed to work for money, nor in her own household. She was expected to spend her time with occupations such as “casualties-visiting, note writing, dressing, […] choosing dresses for morning and evening engagements, […] shopping and making and receiving calls” (Black 1973: 188f.). Moreover, women belonging to this category were able to afford servants who helped the wives with daily, exhausting chores such as washing clothes or cleaning, or who mostly did all the work for them (cf. Black 1973: 188). Although one might think that married upper-class women spent a lot of time with her children due to the family being a central value and the mother having enough free time, this was not the case. Instead, upper-class parents hired a nanny, with additional support through governesses and boarding schools. The nurse and the children stayed in a completely separate area of the house so that the children would be raised with a structured routine independent from the parents (cf. Mitchell 1996: 146).
When it comes to education, upper-class girls were mostly taught by their nannies and governesses. Instead of learning how to perform household skills, they were only expected to know of them since they would not need these skills after marriage anyway (cf. Gorham 2013: 110). Since a great intellect was also not a feature looked after in single women, most upper-class girls were taught in arts, languages and music: skills needed for amusement instead of physical or mental work (cf. Yardımcı 2019: 20ff.).
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the Victorian "Angel in the House" ideal, its literary origins, and sets the research purpose regarding its implementation across class structures and historical development.
2. Historical context: This section details the industrial and social changes of the Victorian Era, defining the class structures that formed the backbone of the period.
3. Victorian values: This chapter examines five key societal values—Family, Self-Help, Respectability, the Middle-class Man, and the "Angel in the House"—that dictated proper behavior.
4. The “Angel in the House” in further detail: This extensive chapter analyzes the practical application of the angelic ideal across class levels, investigates legal barriers for women, explores the shift toward the "ministering angel," and evaluates Queen Victoria’s opposition to feminism.
5. Summary and Conclusion: This final section synthesizes the findings, noting that while the Victorian "Angel in the House" ideal has faded, the societal expectation for women to prioritize domesticity remains relevant in the 21st century.
Keywords
Victorian Era, Angel in the House, Gender Roles, Victorian Morality, Feminism, Social Class, Domesticity, Queen Victoria, Industrialization, Women’s Rights, Respectability, Ministering Angel, Marriage Laws, Separate Spheres, British Society
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this publication?
The work examines the Victorian cultural and social ideal of the "Angel in the House," detailing how this conceptualization of the perfect domestic woman was implemented and experienced by different social classes.
What central themes are explored?
Central themes include the social hierarchy of Victorian Britain, gender-specific education, the legal status of women, the emergence of nursing as a career, and the conservative influence of Queen Victoria on feminist discourse.
What is the primary objective of this study?
The paper aims to clarify the nature of the "Angel in the House" ideal and investigate its persistence in British society, while comparing Victorian gender standards with contemporary attitudes.
Which scientific methodology is applied here?
The research is based on a historical analysis and literary review, drawing upon historical records, sociological studies, and scholarly literature to characterize nineteenth-century gender paradigms.
What does the main body address?
The main body breaks down the ideal by social class (upper, middle, and working), discusses institutionalized legal disadvantages for women, and traces the transition from the domestic ideal to the "ministering angel" figure.
Which keywords define this work?
Key concepts include Victorian Era, gender roles, domesticity, social class, feminism, the "Angel in the House," and the nineteenth-century evolution of women's rights.
How did the implementation of the "Angel" ideal differ between the upper and working classes?
While upper-class women could delegate household work to servants and nannies due to wealth, working-class women suffered under the dual pressure of needing to perform manual labor to survive while attempting to maintain the outward image of a respectable, domestic wife.
What was Queen Victoria's stance on early feminist movements?
Despite being a powerful female leader herself, Queen Victoria was staunchly anti-feminist, viewing the development of independent female personalities and activism like "Women's Rights" with deep disapproval and labeling them as detrimental to womanly propriety.
How does the author relate the nineteenth century to modern society?
The author highlights that while the rigidity of Victorian gender roles has significantly diminished, society still exhibits a bias where women are disproportionately expected to prioritize family care over career, suggesting the "angelic" ideal remains partially embedded today.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anonym (Autor:in), 2020, The Victorian Value “The Angel in the House” and its Implementation in Daily Life, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1437901
