The role of the woman in the Victorian Age

​​In a nutshell

The Victorian Age influenced England's culture in many aspects, one of them being the role of the woman towards her husband, community, the workforce, fashion, medicine, literature, and many others. The role of the Victorian woman was generally associated with purity, modesty, manners, and refinement.

The Angel in the House

The poem The Angel in the House (1854) was written by the English poet Coventry Patmore, where he depicts an idealized courtship using as a reference the ideal Victorian woman. During the 19th century, Patmore's ideal 'angel' was applied to every woman who was submissive to her husband. In the Victorian Age, the middle-class relationship was represented by the woman being in charge of the kids, managing the household, and being emotionally supportive of her husband. While the husband was the head of the family and dedicated to work.

Another influence on the role of the woman in the Victorian Age was the Royal family. Queen Victoria managed to combine her authority with loving humility in the presence of her husband, which encouraged the establishment of the ideal figure of the Victorian mother and wife.

The different women's roles

During the 19th century, some women influenced other areas not related to the household or marriage such as art, literature, sports, fashion, and travelling. For example, in the 1850s girls were encouraged to try archery and croquet, since the bulky skirts made it complicated the American Mrs Bloomer impacted fashion and sports with the introduction of knickerbockers for women in Britain.

Victorian women also enjoyed travelling, thanks to the introduction of the railways they could enjoy a day out at the seaside. Additionally, many women dared to the challenge of foreign experiences and migration. For instance, Lady Anne Blunt travelled the Arabian desert, and the women emigrated to America or Australia and had to adapt to tough conditions.

In 1860, the value of professional nurses was recognized by the opening of a training school for nurses in St Thomas' Hospital, this happened thanks to the influence of Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) in the military hospitals. Another iconic woman from the Victorian Age was Marianne North, in 1869 she started to paint the flora and landscapes of the countries she travelled to. She went to Jamaica, India, Japan, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Sri Lanka, and America.