The progress of women’s liberation can be charted by comparing education, employment, and marriage values throughout the centuries. Women’s education in the 18th century was largely limited to feminine arts including activities such as dancing, needlework, drawing and music. A woman of high social status was taught either in a seminary or by a governess. Women of the middle class taught themselves as best as they could by reading while those of the lower class were not educated in the finer feminine arts at all. Women received a meager education since the aim of education was accomplishment rather than employment. A woman had to be competent in all the aforementioned arts along with being sociable and beautiful to be considered accomplished.
A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half deserved. (Austen, Jane, _Pride_and_Prejudice_. Penguin Books, London, England, 1983. p. 246)
It was necessary and important for women to be learned in all required arts because it increased her attractiveness and wittiness. Overall, this increased her chance of marrying well. For example, Darcy’s interest in Elizabeth increases greatly after he hears her sing and play the piano. Her education and proficiency in music aids in her eventual marriage to Darcy. In spite of her womanly charms, Elizabeth, without her education, certainly would not have been so inviting to potential suitors.
The 19th century showed an improvement in women’s education. Women, without necessarily being part of the upper class, could attend school. Their education extended into subjects formerly deemed masculine, such as mathematics and geography. The society encouraged modern languages, with French being the most popular. Language proficiency was an asset when travelling abroad to other countries, which was a fashionable way of broadening a young lady’s horizons. Cooking and mending were also part of a woman’s necessary knowledge especially if the family did not have servants to attend to the household chores. “‘Suppose you learn plain cooking; that’s a useful accomplishment that no woman should be without.’”(Alcott, Louisa May, _Little_Women_. Little, Brown and Company, Canada, 1968. p. 106) The feminine arts lost some of their importance. Although they were not essential to an education, they were the finer points if a woman wanted to be considered accomplished. Beth plays and sings, Amy draws, Meg dances and Jo acts in her plays. They choose to do so not for capturing a husband but for their pleasure and amusement. Reading was still enjoyed and was a major source of education for women; Jo is quite a bookworm and is not criticized for it as was Mary in _Pride_and_Prejudice_. From the 18th to the 19th century, the importance of feminine arts decreased whereas the level of a woman’s formal education increased.
There is a marked difference in the education of the 20th century woman and to the 19th century woman. A woman’s education no longer requires cooking and cleaning. In _The_Edible_Woman_, Ainsley’s poor housekeeping skills would have shocked her 19th century predecessors. Ainsley and Marian cook because one must eat; they clean because a clean house is more comfortable than a dirty house. It is noteworthy that men enter the kitchen. Marian’s friend Clara does not cook; it is left entirely to her husband. Also, Duncan’s roommate, Trevor, relishes in preparing meals. It is socially acceptable for women and men to cook. Another change in a woman’s education is that singing, instrumental music and languages are not necessary subjects for a woman. As well as a domestic education, woman and man both receive formal education and it is equally acceptable for both genders to attend universities. In the 1960s, at the time of publication of Atwood’s _The_Edible_Woman_, women attended universities and colleges even though the practice was not widely accepted by a male society.
I think it’s a lot harder for her than most other women; I think it’s harder for any woman who’s been to university. She gets the idea she has a mind, her professors pay attention to what she has to say, they treat her like a thinking human being; when she gets married, her core gets invaded... (Atwood, Margaret, _The_Edible_Woman_. McClelland and Stewart, Toronto, Canada, 1969. p. 235)
Obviously, a woman’s education was not completely accepted by the society. A woman’s education in the 60s was limited to arts and rarely did any woman enter into the field of science. Now there are few fields that women do not enter.
A great step has been made since the 18th century: Society has allowed women to work in the public sphere. Women of gentility did not work in Austen’s description of 18th century life. Only the lower class such as farmers or servants, worked in the fields or rendered service to the middle and the upper classes.
The American Civil War opened up the work place to women and increased their job opportunities. The Civil War sets the background for Alcott’s _Little_Women_. Mr. March, the head and sole male member of the family, has gone away as a chaplain to the army. To support themselves, the women take jobs to earn a small income. Mrs. March works as a seamstress, Meg as a governess, and Jo as an author. All three women use their talents and knowledge to earn a living. It was not uncommon for a woman of the bourgeoisie class to work, but the jobs were limited in scope.
Job opportunities increased dramatically in the 20th century, largely due to the two World Wars. The men went away to war, leaving job vacancies behind to be filled by their wives or sisters. After the wars ended, women were reluctant to relinquish their jobs. Women wanted to keep working as jobs gave them satisfaction and a new purpose in life. They wanted to lead a more meaningful life as opposed to the concerns of cleaner clothes or lighter sponge cakes. In Atwood’s account of 20th century life, women’s employment was not limited to the traditional women’s labour.
Yet despite several advancements since the 18th century, equal employment opportunity for women is still lacking. There are blatant differences in a woman’s work and a man’s work. Men are offered higher salaries and better prospects while women are confined to more secretarial and menial work. This obvious sexism is illustrated in Marian’s workplace. Her department consists entirely of women working in a cramped and uncomfortable space whereas the men are on the upper floor, earning higher salaries, and lounging in luxurious offices.
On the floor above us are the executives and the psychologists - referred to as the men upstairs, since they are all men - who arrange things with the clients; I’ve caught glimpses of their offices, which have carpets and expensive furniture and silk-screen reprints of Group of Seven paintings on the walls.(Atwood, Margaret, _The_Edible_Woman_. McClelland and Stewart, Toronto, Canada, 1969. p. 19)
Women have come a long way since the 18th century and progress in workplace equity has occured since the 1960s. (However there is yet a long distance to go before achieving true equality.) Being able to support oneself earned a woman independence. She no longer had to depend on a man for survival. In the 18th century, it was vital that a woman become married. Often, a woman’s life revolved around capturing a husband. Hours were spent preparing for and attending social events such as balls and dinners. Time was also spent learning music and conversational skills. These were done so that a woman may dazzle potential suitors with her accomplishments and thus succeed in ensnaring one when entertaining them. For example, Mrs. Bennet’s aim in life is to see all of her daughters well married. Marriage was important because women were dependent on men. Middle and upper class women could not support themselves because they lacked an education to do so. The most important criterion in choosing a husband was wealth; the richer, the better. When Mrs. Bennet hears of Mr. Bingley’s wealth, she begins plotting Jane’s marriage to him. Lydia, the youngest of the Bennet daughters, is an ignorant and vain flirt. She surrounds herself with admirers and tries to catch a rich husband so that she can support her luxurious and frivolous lifestyle. The importance of marriage was again illustrated in Mr. Collins’ attitude when he offers to marry Elizabeth. He plans to marry one of the five sisters and ultimately chooses Elizabeth. When proposing to her, he makes it seem as if he was doing her a favour. Even though Collins is a pompous and boring man, Mrs. Bennet believes it would be ideal for Elizabeth to enter into a loveless, albeit comfortable, marriage. Both Collins’ and Mrs. Bennet’s attitudes show the importance of marrying into money. Apparently, marriage in the 18th century was not often motivated by love but by money.
Marriage in the 19th century allowed women to marry for love since she could earn a small income and did not necessarily depend on a man. Life was not centered on gaining a husband. The characters in Alcott’s _Little_Women_ marry for love, although marriage for money was not uncommon then. For example, Jo refuses Laurie’s proposal of marriage in spite of the fact that he is wealthy. This is again illustrated when Meg marries Brooke because she loves him despite his poverty. Women could have more time to devote themselves elsewhere, such as working or further educating themselves. Jo leaves for New York to take a job as a writer, and learns German in her spare time. In addition, the age of marriage was higher since there was no rush to become married. In comparing Alcott’s and Austen’s novels, there is a decrease of desperation about the need to become married in the former work than in the latter. Indeed many of Austen’s novels are about love and marriage whereas Alcott’s novel describes all aspects of life.
The attitude towards marriage changed radically in the late 20th century. It is no longer necessary for a woman to be married. Marriage is not a high priority. Women are no longer the subservient half of the marriage. Both halves are equal. In some cases, such as Ainsley’s, the woman is the one controlling the relationship. Ainsley was described as a “scheming superfemale”. She plans to have a baby without a father, which she believes would be better than raising a child with a paternal influence. This would involve having a child out of wedlock, the idea of which would have been considered sinful and scandalous in Austen’s and Alcott’s time. Ainsley wants to have a child because she feels that to be a woman, “‘Every woman should have at least one baby....It’s even more important than sex. It fulfills your deepest femininity.’”(Atwood, Margaret, _The_Edible_Woman_. McClelland and Stewart, Toronto, Canada, 1969. p. 40-41) Ainsley carefully selects and plots against her unsuspecting victim, Len, and planning to use him only for his body. Under a façade of innocence and purity, she seduces him and soon abandons him after he serves his purpose. Furthermore, Ainsley starts plotting again when she thinks her child might turn out homosexual without a father. This time, she aims to catch Len as a husband. Failing, she turns to other men and eventually marries without love. Her only motive for marriage is purely for selfish reasons. She has absolutely no concern for her future husband. The importance of marriage has also lowered a great deal since the 18th and 19th century. Marian did not rush into marriage with Peter after becoming engaged. In fact, she rather dreads it because she feels that it would trap her, leaving her subservient and imprisoned. Feeling stifled, she eventually breaks off their engagement. Personal happiness is highly valued in contemporary society. Divorces are also accepted by contemporary society since personal happiness comes before anything else. This contrasts against the sanctity of marriage in the 18th century. (Mr. Bennet tries to make the best of his marriage long after his love for Mrs. Bennet diminishes.) Attitudes and motives towards marriage changed through time, and the value and meaning of marriage changed accordingly. The necessity of marriage decreases significantly. Society does not press a woman into marriage or into staying in an unhappy marriage. Instead it allows a woman to search for her definitions of happiness.
The changes in attitudes towards women and education, employment and marriage over the past three centuries have been notable. Women in the past have often been considered inferior. They were not educated and were taught to be entirely dependent on men. Gradually, women received equal education and gained equal employment opportunities. They support themselves and no longer have to depend on a man for survival. Their independence earns them respect in the society. Women are no longer viewed as inferior, nor are they treated as commodities. The three novels _Pride_and_Prejudice_, _Little_Women_, and _The_Edible_Woman_ express from a middle class woman’s point of view the evolution of the role of the woman. It is apparent that women are becoming more independent and liberated, leading to true equality one day.
extra-special thanks to ms. stuckey for actually wanting to read it even if she's not my teacher; it made me feel worthwhile.
i'm turning into quite the feminist; someone give me a bra to burn. home
last updated 04.17.97