Maid In Victorian Era

Words: 719

Pages: 3

Open Document

The Victorian Era was a time in history about 179 years ago that was filled with prosperity, and optimism. People believed in working hard and taking care of there family. There were many jobs available during the nineteenth century as the economy was growing at a increasingly fast rate. With the economy growing and men working long hours, women were left with many household duties, and it was very popular during this time for wives to have paid servants to make sure the household was properly taking care of. During Victorian times being a servant was one of the most popular jobs. Poor people could work for the rich as their servants to earn money. There were different servants for different jobs around the household, one of these servants would be a household maid. The household maid would have many duties around the home and she would also be an assistant to the wife of the house. The maid's duties could include, cooking, sweeping, making beds, dusting, and laundry. It is possible the household maid would be responsible for taking care of the children if the family did not hire a nanny. The maid’s …show more content…
The household maid would have many duties around the home and she would also be an assistant to the wife of the house. Some homes had more than one servant, and many of these homes included a butler, or they may have only had a butler in the home. The living conditions for servants were not as good as the families they attended to, but they did get free room and board. For some people this was a dream job a wonderful thing, but for some it was a nightmare job. They just had to take whatever job was available to them. It’s like how people get a job today working at Mcdonalds. They may not like the job, but the do it until something better becomes available to them . During the Victorian Era whether the person liked it or not servants were the most popular job due to its

Gender Roles In Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

Gender Roles of The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde The Novel The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde written by Robert Louis Stevenson is a book published in 1886 in the United Kingdom. The story is placed in Victorian London. The novel is about two characters, one named Dr.Jekyll and the other Mr.Hyde, who strangely enough are end up being the same person, living two completely opposite lives. All the men in the story are every lonely and independent, none of the characters are married…

Words 1124 - Pages 5

The Ruined Maid Thomas Hardy Analysis

During the nineteenth century, women were meant to be pure and submissive. Because ‘Melia is not necessarily the typical woman, she is looked down upon. The “Ruined Maid”, by Thomas Hardy, is a conversation between ‘Melia, who left behind the country for a city life, and a country girl who stayed behind in the country. Hardy implies that ‘Melia is a prostitute; therefore, she is ruined. The country girl, who admires ‘Melia, is obviously unaware that ‘Melia is unhappy and unable to change her lifestyle…

Words 763 - Pages 4

The Ruined Maid Analysis Essay

Emily Egbert Dr. Karen C. Holt ENG 333 3/26/2013 Literary Analysis: “The Ruined Maid” Introduction Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Ruined Maid” introduces its reader to the harsh reality of lower class Victorian Women. Critical scrutiny through a feminist lens helps widen the scope of understanding to reveal beyond the satirical irony of the writing and bring to light the deep rooted social issue of Victorian England’s paralyzing poverty and its effects on women. In Critical Theory Today feminist…

Words 1872 - Pages 8

Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Duality Analysis

the key to the beginning of duality throughout the novel. The Victorian Era thrived on physiognomy and its importance can be seen in the structure of Stevenson’s work; the primary things that he mentions are the surroundings that are more pleasing to the eye and he shows no effort to hide the importance of its looks. The by-street had “freshly painted” shutters and “well polished” brasses, the adjectives acting as a metaphor of Victorian society where looks determined character, almost personifying…

Words 991 - Pages 4

Victorian Era Women

Historical context To understand western women’s roles in the war and postwar periods, we must first understand the history that led them to their current mentality. In the Victorian era, the upper class woman was kept inside, a mother and housekeeper. Queen Victoria sought to redeem the reckless extravagance of her predecessors by strictly preaching modesty, efficiency and a strong work ethic. Beauty was therefore greatly defined by complexion and figure, as makeup was considered superficial and…

Words 429 - Pages 2

Sadism In Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

sexuality and the resulting sadistic behavior of men” (Campbell 310). Although Charles Campbell, the author, believed this, I do not consider these points to be accurate. The author of this article looks too deeply into this piece of work written in Victorian era, women are not used in the story for sexual purposes and are not the victims of sadistic behavior. The article first states women to be victims of Hyde’s sadistic behavior and that it is them that suffers throughout the story,…

Words 950 - Pages 4

Symbolism In The Ruined Maid

Running Away from The Past During the Victorian Era in England, many women left the country to find a life in the city. The majority of them became prostitutes to make it in the city, and they became notorious for being ruined. “The Ruined Maid” tells of a woman named ‘Melia that left the country and became a prostitute, and she has returned to her hometown for a short time. ‘Melia and a country girl she grew up with run into each other and start a conversation. The country girl talks about how…

Words 765 - Pages 4

Analysis Of Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market

Preventative Education in Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market” At the time of the Victorian era, many women found themselves unfortunately regarded as little more than personal property—of their fathers, then their husbands, and if they should be so unlucky, of a brother should their husbands pass away. Motherhood was considered the sole purpose or “crowning achievement of a woman’s life” (Kent, 33), and individuals enjoying positions of power “encouraged the view of women as sexual objects” (Kent…

Words 2531 - Pages 11

Symptoms Of Scarlet Fever In Frankenstein By Mary Shelley

The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was written during the 1800’s, and in that time period scarlet fever was well known. In the story Elizabeth Lavenza and Victor’s mother got scarlet fever, Elizabeth pulls through but Victor’s mother passed away. Scarlet fever is a disease that mostly effects kids but can sometimes spread to adults. When someone gets scarlet fever it feels like a normal fever but it is far worse. While now scarlet fever can be easily treated with antibiotics, back in the 1800’s…

Words 637 - Pages 3

Jane Eyre Research Paper

Jane Eyre from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre lived in the wrong time period. The qualities of women in the Victorian Era were “to be innocent, virtuous, biddable, dutiful and be ignorant of intellectual opinion” (Thomas). “Women were shy, weak and emotional compared to men. She was supposed to be pure and quiet” (Joshi). Men were seen as superior in Jane’s era. “It was the responsibility of the women to secure happiness at home whereas the men were to protect and guard the household and its members”…

Words 501 - Pages 3