Essay On 19th Century American Women

Throughout the survey of this course the literature studied has given insights to the lives Americans lived in the 19th century. The course allowed for observations of regions all across America and amongst all social classes. Throughout all regions and social classes one subgroup remained in a state of oppression, held at a level beneath their counterpart, women. The roles of women during the 19th century were extremely limited compared to the vast opportunities provided to women today. This time period was not totally void of change for women, as can be observed in the selected course readings. Advancements for the rights and roles of women were made between 1850 and 1900, but close examination reveals that the advancements were miniscule in
My Aunt Susan, written by Harold Frederic, and published in 1892, is an example of how women had to face life alone. In this story Susan was an unmarried woman, left alone to raise her nephew. The boy narrates the story and tells of a hard working woman trying her best to provide for herself and the boy. When the boy’s father, whom he had never met, returns as a War hero, Susan’s unnoticed position in society took a sudden rise. This story was an example of a woman who was able to sufficiently provide for herself, and care for her nephew, and because she was an unmarried woman she was looked at as strange, and practically shunned from society. When a male character came into her life she was immediately of worth to people. This is an example of how women were able to take care of themselves, and could choose to marry for love, as Susan did. The issue was not that women were incapable, but that they were told by men and society that they were incapable, and they heard it so many times that they believed it (Frederic