In our next issue, we visit the Romantic Era, the 1800’s. We look at what made that period so romantic and glamorous, while reflecting on the role of women in society.
As the Romantic Period is often seen as opposed to the previous knowledge-seeking Age of Enlightenment, it vibrates with new ideas about individual freedom. Therefore, Romanticism makes an attempt to recognize women as deserving equals, but the progress is slow and advocates for female equality rights have to fight using logic among other arguments, which we examine.
We get acquainted with the early feminists, such as Mary Wollstonecraft, who sought to redefine common understandings about women, by placing herself in masculine conversation. We see the influence she had on other feminists of her time, and on those who came after, in their fight to change women’s social standards.
They first wanted to change education since middle-class and upper-class women’s studies focused only on how to behave, to attract a husband, along with etiquette and artistic courses as singing, painting, sewing, etc… but never anything scientific, political, or philosophical… reserved only to men. Women were taught to be practical instead of being intellectual, and their bodies and beauty were valued but not their minds. This is what the Romantic Era feminists rejected. We examine their attempts to raise awareness on how women were kept in a state of ignorance, and discover what they contributed to their daughters and granddaughters’ generation.
We also resume our story on Margaret Sanger’s legacy and controversy.
-- Al Mohymont
Next ISSUE
A Lady Reading, 1795-1800. (Painting: Marguerite Gerard/Public
domain)
109 - Ceres Magazine - Winter 2016