Victorian era

Gender Roles

• During the Victorian era, gender roles were strict and all were expected to follow them, men and women coexisting in "Separate Spheres".
• Each sex was expected to follow the "natural characteristics" of their gender, such as women being nurturing and weak, while men were strong and dependable.

Women

Expectations for women

• Women were to be groomed for marriage. Everything they did was to be in line of what was expected of them from society such as being small, docile, polite, agreeable, yet well rounded.
• Women were also expected to be able to play an instrument (typically the piano), sing, and know bits of a respectable foreign language.
• All that a woman owned became her husband's property once married.

Women's expectations continued

• Upper class women were to wear lavish gowns for most occasions, even while at home.
• Women were expected to be fragile and weak, sports being out of the question for them.
• Women were to follow their husband's or family's wishes, never to step out of line by speaking her mind or disagreeing.

Moonstone Women

• Rachel goes against many of the standards for women by speaking her mind and rejecting Godfrey's marriage proposal.
• Penelope also breaks the standards for women by not keeping quiet.
• Rosanna breaks the standards by falling in love with a man of a higher class.
• Ms.Clack followed the standards for women very strictly, devoting herself to God and finding a husband.

Men

Expectations for men

• Men were expected to provide for the family, while being well educated, well traveled, strong, dependable, and independent.
• They were also expected to be social in drinking and within society.
• Men owned the woman they were married to but wasn't uncommon to have a mistress.

Moonstone Men

• Godfrey fulfills his expectations of a man by being social within his community and seeking a woman of high class.
• Franklin fulfills his expectations of a man by being well educated but almost too well so, having different views than most Englishmen because of his travels.

Classes

Classes within society

• Three main classes within society: the upper class, the middle class, and the lower class.
• The upper class was constructed of royalty and those who owned land.
• The middle class was constructed of workers who held clean or respectable jobs.
• The lower class was constructed of low paid workers such as those who did physical labor.

Classes in the moonstone

• The Verinder family was in the upper class.
• The servants such as Rosanna were of the lower class.

Religion

• Religion was a huge part of daily life in this age. All respected men and women were expected to worship God and follow his ways of life. It was considered a sin to have intercourse before marriage.

Moonstone RELIGION

• Ms. Clack was a strong believer in God and let it dictate her life.
• The Indians were of a different religion (and race) so they were treated differently.

Victorian age overview

• The Victorian era was a time of great social standards and romanticism of religion, culture, and art.
• It lasted from 1837 to 1901 under the rule of Queen Victoria.

Works Cited

• http://www.fashion-era.com/a_womans_place.htm
• http://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/gender-roles-in-the-19th...
• https://prezi.com/dwfxhksbuqta/the-victorian-era-social-class/
• http://logicmgmt.com/1876/overview/religion.htm