H/W 2nd October 2017
Dorian Gray – Chapter 4: Victorian Women
Victorian Women
Women in the Victorian era were left at home whilst the men went to work in factories and shops; the women
would be left to oversee domestic duties that then became the work servants carried out.Women were often left out
of social circles, as it was thought that domesticity and motherhood would give sufficient emotional fulfilment.
Women started wearing ‘crinolines’, which were bell-shaped skirts, which made it hard to clean. The women usually
wore modest clothes, and ringletted hair to seem pretty, seen as ‘the look’ in the 1830s; in 1860 the sewing machine
helped to bring costs down, and synthetic dyes intensified colours. In the 870s, the skirt started to emphasise the
silhouette at the back whilst flattening at the front. During the 1890s, bustles on skirts disappeared, and was
replaced by wide hats, puff sleeves, narrow waists and long flared skirts.
To become the ‘Angel in the home’ women needed a different education; this included middle-class females being
coached in ‘accomplishments’ such as music, singing, drawing, dancing, and modern languages, along with having an
aura in her manner of walking, tone of voice, and address. This was to help get them a husband, but not be too
obvious about it, as this suggested a sexual appetite. Females were usually married by their mid-20s, with a groom
about 5 years older.
Victorian Mother/ Wife – was seen as the highest achievement, became a social responsibility; was symbolic; more
likely to incorporate family and children into daily life as opposed to the people before them
Victorian governess – women who would have been ashamed to go and work in a shop or factory, but needed the
money (after facing bank failures of the 19 th century); were teachers to young girls to save their ego
Victorian prostitute –used more widely, eg for women who lived with men outside of marriage, those who had
illegitimate children, women who slept with men for pleasure rather than money; these were usually working-class
women
Victorian actress – were often looked down upon for choosing acting over devoting their time to being a wife/
mother/ home-maker; women would usually have a history in acting in her family, and it was not a glamorous job
with any comfort
What impact do compound sentences and coordinating conjunctions have on the description of Victoria?
What impression of Victoria does the description create?
It makes it seem as if Victoria was doing all of those actions at once, giving off a hyper-active ambiance around her,
as opposed to what a Victorian women should have: a calming nature whose presence attracts others. Victoria does
not appear to have this, as she ‘laughs nervously’, implying she isn’t confident in herself during the current situation;
her ‘vague ‘forge-me-not eyes’ also give the impression that she wasn’t quite focused, and by combining this with
her laughter it gives the ideas that Victoria is a women who is trying to be the ideal woman, but is too curious. The
compound sentences and conjunctions continues the description, with no full stops or breaks, which suggests that
there are constant small details, that may not be obvious upon first glance.
1) What opinion of women does the reader form of Lord Henry’s wife?
The reader may think that women are the submissive sex between the two, and that they are not as simple and calm
as Victorian times claimed them to be, or how they were expected to act, but possibly scared to act out of line,
especially considering the words ‘perfect mania’, implying that there is constant manic-behaviour coming from
Victoria, but nothing that seems out of place for a woman.
Dorian Gray – Chapter 4: Victorian Women
Victorian Women
Women in the Victorian era were left at home whilst the men went to work in factories and shops; the women
would be left to oversee domestic duties that then became the work servants carried out.Women were often left out
of social circles, as it was thought that domesticity and motherhood would give sufficient emotional fulfilment.
Women started wearing ‘crinolines’, which were bell-shaped skirts, which made it hard to clean. The women usually
wore modest clothes, and ringletted hair to seem pretty, seen as ‘the look’ in the 1830s; in 1860 the sewing machine
helped to bring costs down, and synthetic dyes intensified colours. In the 870s, the skirt started to emphasise the
silhouette at the back whilst flattening at the front. During the 1890s, bustles on skirts disappeared, and was
replaced by wide hats, puff sleeves, narrow waists and long flared skirts.
To become the ‘Angel in the home’ women needed a different education; this included middle-class females being
coached in ‘accomplishments’ such as music, singing, drawing, dancing, and modern languages, along with having an
aura in her manner of walking, tone of voice, and address. This was to help get them a husband, but not be too
obvious about it, as this suggested a sexual appetite. Females were usually married by their mid-20s, with a groom
about 5 years older.
Victorian Mother/ Wife – was seen as the highest achievement, became a social responsibility; was symbolic; more
likely to incorporate family and children into daily life as opposed to the people before them
Victorian governess – women who would have been ashamed to go and work in a shop or factory, but needed the
money (after facing bank failures of the 19 th century); were teachers to young girls to save their ego
Victorian prostitute –used more widely, eg for women who lived with men outside of marriage, those who had
illegitimate children, women who slept with men for pleasure rather than money; these were usually working-class
women
Victorian actress – were often looked down upon for choosing acting over devoting their time to being a wife/
mother/ home-maker; women would usually have a history in acting in her family, and it was not a glamorous job
with any comfort
What impact do compound sentences and coordinating conjunctions have on the description of Victoria?
What impression of Victoria does the description create?
It makes it seem as if Victoria was doing all of those actions at once, giving off a hyper-active ambiance around her,
as opposed to what a Victorian women should have: a calming nature whose presence attracts others. Victoria does
not appear to have this, as she ‘laughs nervously’, implying she isn’t confident in herself during the current situation;
her ‘vague ‘forge-me-not eyes’ also give the impression that she wasn’t quite focused, and by combining this with
her laughter it gives the ideas that Victoria is a women who is trying to be the ideal woman, but is too curious. The
compound sentences and conjunctions continues the description, with no full stops or breaks, which suggests that
there are constant small details, that may not be obvious upon first glance.
1) What opinion of women does the reader form of Lord Henry’s wife?
The reader may think that women are the submissive sex between the two, and that they are not as simple and calm
as Victorian times claimed them to be, or how they were expected to act, but possibly scared to act out of line,
especially considering the words ‘perfect mania’, implying that there is constant manic-behaviour coming from
Victoria, but nothing that seems out of place for a woman.
