Gender Roles During The 19th Century Essay - 1580 Words

From past tales of Victorian monsters to modern movies with sparkly teenagers, the vampire genre has always been used to address issues in sexuality since its creation. Vampires are metaphors for us to project our sexuality and desires onto; they don’t have to follow the rules of society or culture, and because of this they let us examine sexuality and social roles more in-depth than ever before. Earlier texts like Dracula address issues with gender roles in the 19th century, while more modern texts like Interview with the vampire aim to make us question the gender roles and marriage and family structure in western culture. The context of some of the first sexualized vampires was born in Victorian times. The discussion around vampires morphed from religious to social and sexual. If vampires don’t follow the laws of religion, then why would they follow the social roles of society? The idea that vampires are fictional, sacrilegious, or unnatural gives them the context to adopt anything that matches those values. In the 19th century the way that homosexuality was viewed the way that vampires were portrayed, and this allowed the concepts to be combined. This concept was also combined with feminism, as in Dracula, to show that women don’t have to match the strict social hierarchy of the time. Recently, with Interview with the Vampire Anne Rice expands the discussion of sexuality and gender roles with the addition of family structure in western culture. In Brahm Stoker’sShow MoreRelatedGender Roles During The 19th Century932 Words   |  4 PagesTitle Gender roles were sharply defined in the 19th century. Women were expected to stay at home and carry out the domestic duties as well as taking care of the children and educate them and provide a peaceful home for their husband. Women were seen as loving and caring. On the other hand, men were expected to work and earn money for the family. They would fight wars and were seen as strong and powerful. Men had more freedom and rights, such as the right to vote, than women in the 19th century. SocietyRead MoreGender Roles During The 19th Century1492 Words   |  6 PagesAre women considered inferior to men? How does gender roles during the 19th century affect the narrator in The Yellow Wallpaper? Charlotte Gilman’s short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, originally printed on the New England Magazine became the model literature of feminism and women’s oppression after its publication in 1892. Gilman in her short story emphasises the roles of women and their oppression against a male dominant society during the 19th century. According to Elizabeth Carey’s article, â€Å"ControllingRead MoreHow Gender Roles Codified During The Victorian England Of The 19th Century?3137 Words   |  13 PagesHow are gender roles codified in magazines for adolescents and young readers in the Victorian’s England of the 19th century? Introduction: In the Victorian and then Edwardian’s England, magazines directed to young readers had a central place in society. Reasons explaining this situation were numerous, for example the industrialization and the decreasing price of paper played an important part in the phenomenon. But one of the most important reasons was social reforms concerning education. FollowingRead MoreWomen s Rights During The 19th Century1507 Words   |  7 PagesWomen’s Rights In The 19th Century The 19th century was an important period for women especially in Europe and North America. It was a crucial time for demand for change and women were at the forefront of it all. Viewed only as a homemaker, women found it difficult during this time to show society what they were capable of. Limitations on their capabilities created by gender stereotypes called for change. To understand the significance of the 19th century for women, one must consider the conditionsRead MoreWomen s Influence On Women956 Words   |  4 Pagessuccessful and independent women in today society is something that women aspire to becoming in the 21st Century. The changes from the 19th and 20th Centuries have been ever changing since the middle of the 20th century. Women who were previously perceived as pure, weak, frail, and submissive have taken on a complete different role and in some instances have gone as far as an alteration of gender roles. Gone are the days of the women that are likened to ladies i n the Victorian era and women with a freeRead MoreVictorian Era Gender Roles and the Development of Women’s Football in England1054 Words   |  5 Pagesin Britain during the 19th century illustrates the transformation of gender roles in British culture in the context of Victorian era values and women’s football: â€Å"‘The Cultures of sport in Britain have been distinctively male, rooted in masculine values and patriarchal exclusiveness’† Through the introduction of female football into British society the system of Victorian values were challenged by expanding gender roles. The institution of women’s soccer in the late 19th and 20th century was supportedRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1089 Words   |  5 Pageshas been very traditional with its views on gender roles. The term gender role alludes to society s idea of how men and women are expected to act and behave. Gender roles are based on norms, or standards, created by society. In American society, â€Å"masculine roles have commonly been related with strength, aggression, and dominance, while feminine roles have traditionally been related with passivity, nurturing, and subordination† (sex roles/gender roles). In â€Å"A Doll’s House,† written by Henrik IbsenRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1089 Words   |  5 Pageshas been very traditional with its views on gender roles. The term gender role alludes to society s idea of how men and women are expected to act and behave. Gender roles are based on norms, or standards, created by society. In American society, â€Å"masculine roles have commonly been related with strength, aggression, and dominance, while feminine roles have traditionally been related with passivity, nurturing, and subordination† (sex roles/gender roles). In â€Å"A Doll’s House,† written by Henrik IbsenRead MoreGender Roles : Women, Gender, Sexuality And Other Facets Of Identity1623 Words   |  7 PagesGender roles play as an important role in how the society has interpreted the distinction between the male and the female. The distinction of different gender roles evolves over time, with the constant influence of â€Å"class, ethnicity, sexuality and other facets of identity†. (Judith Butler, 1990) This essay will consider three distinctive examples of how artists have questioned gendered stereotypes over time. The essay will also explore examples of female being represented as male and male beingRead MoreThe Illusion Of Popular Culture983 Words   |  4 Pages The Illusion of Popular Culture In the early 19th century a man by the name of Phineas Taylor Barnum changed popular culture with his extraordinary talent of promoting and advertising. His first success came with a slave woman known as â€Å"Joice Heath† who he claimed to be the nurse of George Washington. If this was true it would put Joice at 161 years old, thousands of people went to see â€Å"The greatest natural and national curiosity in the world† (Perlman 4/6/16) which turned Joice from an elderly