Course:HIST317/The rise of a conscious alienation within the domestic sphere

The alteration of the notion of class in Victorian Britain did not refer only to the general distinction between the working class, the middle class and the aristocracy. In a more specific analysis we can see that these changes found their roots in a more private sphere. While husbands enjoyed their prerogatives in the public sphere, taking part in the cultural, economical and political activities of Britain; wives, mothers and daughters were condemned to stay at home and would suffer trying each day to respond to the Victorian vision of the « ideal woman ».

The importance of ideologies

As ideologies were created within the ruling class the perfect woman was evidently embodied by the Aristocratic wife. Of course wealth made life easier for them as they were helped by a whole number of servants. Managing the household was not tiring nor isolating as their husbands did not have to work. Their everyday tasks consisted in giving orders to the maids and to the cook. For the rest of the time they would enjoy their idle life by raising their children and teaching them respectability, decorate their house, arrange events to expand their network and take part in philanthropic activities. Middle class women took these ideals very seriously. Even though most of the households could only afford to pay for one servant, who could not take care of all the domestic tasks by herself, mothers and daughters would « secretly » perform all sorts of domestic duties. Thus they could appear rich and leisured to the eyes of society. Lower class women were partially affected by the trend in the sense that they were proud to raise their children, and find time between their working hours for domesticity and also for charity.

A conscious alienation

This advertisement by Lilian Young for Brooke’s Monkey Brand Soap suggests some of the many duties of the good working-class wife, among them cleaning, caring for children, and cooking. It is important to highlight the fact that one of these advertisement was published in September 1890 in the Boy’s Own Paper, a periodical whose content did not generally talk about domesticity.

First of all alienation lies in the idea of « Angel in the House ». Ideologically female aristocrats and upper middle class were supposed to be charming, pure and respect the Evangelical Christianity. A matter which prevented them from sexual freedom and created a feeling of frustration and constraint. Some of them started to have signs of disturbance and madness which had very discouraging effects upon their daughters. Themselves were affected by their mothers’ hypocrisy into teaching them the country’s values and began to feel jealous towards their brother’s schooling. Middle class women felt powerless, passive and subordinate to their husbands. The inequalities between the rights in the public sphere and the domestic sphere were more and more obvious to them. As they were considered to be minor citizens and were legally belittled to the same level as children, they felt like being only ‘domestic creatures’. In the working class, women had the same works as children and could not be given responsibilities and consequently earned low wages. Women started to realize the flaws in the system and the vicious circle that lied in their mother‘s hypocritical education.

Modernity and change

Women in Victorian era were exploited and oppressed by the upper classes and by male superiority. Slowly women would take part more actively in social matters. Philanthropy was a way for women to express themselves in the public sphere and influence the ones in need. What’s more the emergence of female novelists in the middle class was visible even though it was against respectability to compete on the publishing market. That is why some of them used men’s names or pseudonyms. Literature was a way to express many feelings towards the society, sexual freedom and emancipation. Society was changing not only as regards women but as regards class. Shifts lead to a concentration of people in the middle class. The nobility began to loose their status as the ruling class and the limits of the working class were less distinct. This was partly due to the modernization in transport, women could go to the cities and catch up with the nobility’s fashion and attitude. New careers such as doctors, or what we called the « white collar » (clerks, typewriters..) were eventually accessible to middle-class women. For many, getting married restrained them from emancipation this is why we could note an creasing number of single women searching for independence by becoming governesses, teachers or dressmakers. The fight against alienation radically started with the feminist movements who wanted to redirect the status of woman at home to wider public matters. The Suffragettes played a major role in the fight against inequalities towards the law. By achieving the right to vote they would become respected citizens and therefore help to shape the structure of British society.