Exam Post: Research Paper

My project was based on the representation of women in the 19th century not in social standards and in literature. This subject was inspired by the reading of the main female character in Uncle Tom's Cabin, Eliza has her development from a female slave to a strong, free black mother inspired me to understand how this level of transformation and representation was capable during this time period when women were not considered to be full citizens but rather the property of their husbands. This held even more so for female slaves. 

The research took me to an article by The British Library that gave me several resources of social and moral evidence that showed how women were seen by society. According to the article, women were seen as socially less important than men but at the same time were seen as a higher more presence in a man's life. It was her duty to lead the man on a moral path and to make sure that he didn't stay too far from this path. This is clearly shown in the novel in the in the form of multiple female characters that show superior moral standards than the male characters. The first instance we see of this is in the very first chapter with the description of Mrs. Shelby. She is shown to be a kind, caring, very moral and religious mother who has a significant on her less than moral husband and helps him make better choices and be a better moral man. But there is an even more impactful example of the moral transformation and how the novel uses it to show how embracing this oral standing and that having women, especially women forced to be slaves, can help free them psychologically from their chains and their enslavement. That development is to be a mother, as shown by Eliza change in the novel from being a basic slave at the beginning of the novel to being the strong, morally sound, free mother that she becomes by the end of the novel. This is where my research has taken me.


Link to Article:
http://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/gender-roles-in-the-19th-century#