MA Victorian Gothic: History, Literature and
Culture
Victorian Enchantments
Assignment Two: Coursework Essay
, MA Victorian Gothic: History, Literature and Culture UP2190220
Assignment Two: Coursework Essay (4,000 Words)
To what degree did participation in spiritualist practices empower Victorian women to contest
traditional ideals of femininity?
The eighteenth century dawned upon Londoners imbued with a fervent spirit of intellectual inquiry.
Britain, witnessing the emergence of modern cities and the juxtaposition of traditional and contemporary
paradigms, epitomised the dynamic surge into modernity; driven by an unprecedented dissemination of
information and a vibrant intellectual milieu. This era witnessed the ascendancy of scholars,
philosophers, scientists, and visionaries who heralded the modern age as a pinnacle of human progress.
However, the benefits of this dynamic transformation were not universally accessible. While London
stood as a beacon of wealth, knowledge, and enlightenment; it simultaneously remained a locus of
extreme poverty, disease, and squalor. Nevertheless, the era's spiritual and intellectual turbulence
provided a fertile ground for the proliferation of novel religious and metaphysical ideas, with Spiritualism
becoming a particularly significant and influential phenomenon.
Within this intricate web of influence, the impact on women's lives was undeniably profound, furnishing
them with unprecedented opportunities for agency and self-definition within the parameters of Victorian
conventions. A woman's existence was primarily delineated by her relational ties with men, positioning
her under the guardianship of either her father or her husband. Marriage, in particular, emerged as the
pivotal institution that not only defined but also delimited a woman's place and function within society.
Unmarried women and widows enjoyed comparatively greater autonomy within society compared to
their married counterparts, and yet; matrimony remained indispensable for a woman's economic stability
and personal security.1 As such, many entered into matrimonial unions with minimal contention,
assuming a predetermined array of duties and roles that adhered to societal expectations regarding the
idealised concept of womanhood. It was incumbent upon her to uphold the cleanliness and organisation
of the household, while also attending to the needs of her husband, and of paramount importance, to
conceive and nurture children. Under this framework, a woman's prescribed role was exclusively
restricted to issues pertained with domestic concerns, encompassing her home and familial duties. This
societal construct of the mid-nineteenth century, later coined by historian Barbara Welter as the "cult of
true womanhood," delineated an authentic woman as one who embodied the "four cardinal virtues –
piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity."2 These attributes constituted the pathway for a woman
to secure her esteemed status within society, embodying the ideals of a devout spouse and nurturing
mother. Jeanne Peterson depicted these women as the ‘angel in the house,’ symbolising their profound
spiritual connection and their role in fostering familial piety.3 They were tasked with creating a sanctuary
1
Lydia Murdoch, Daily Life of Victorian Women (England: Greenwood Publishers, 2013), 3.
2
Barbara Welter, “The Cult of True Womanhood: 1820-1860,” American Quarterly 18 (1996): 152.
3
Jeanne Peterson, “No Angels in the House: The Victorian Myth and the Paget Women,” The American Historical
Review 89 (1983): 677.
2
Culture
Victorian Enchantments
Assignment Two: Coursework Essay
, MA Victorian Gothic: History, Literature and Culture UP2190220
Assignment Two: Coursework Essay (4,000 Words)
To what degree did participation in spiritualist practices empower Victorian women to contest
traditional ideals of femininity?
The eighteenth century dawned upon Londoners imbued with a fervent spirit of intellectual inquiry.
Britain, witnessing the emergence of modern cities and the juxtaposition of traditional and contemporary
paradigms, epitomised the dynamic surge into modernity; driven by an unprecedented dissemination of
information and a vibrant intellectual milieu. This era witnessed the ascendancy of scholars,
philosophers, scientists, and visionaries who heralded the modern age as a pinnacle of human progress.
However, the benefits of this dynamic transformation were not universally accessible. While London
stood as a beacon of wealth, knowledge, and enlightenment; it simultaneously remained a locus of
extreme poverty, disease, and squalor. Nevertheless, the era's spiritual and intellectual turbulence
provided a fertile ground for the proliferation of novel religious and metaphysical ideas, with Spiritualism
becoming a particularly significant and influential phenomenon.
Within this intricate web of influence, the impact on women's lives was undeniably profound, furnishing
them with unprecedented opportunities for agency and self-definition within the parameters of Victorian
conventions. A woman's existence was primarily delineated by her relational ties with men, positioning
her under the guardianship of either her father or her husband. Marriage, in particular, emerged as the
pivotal institution that not only defined but also delimited a woman's place and function within society.
Unmarried women and widows enjoyed comparatively greater autonomy within society compared to
their married counterparts, and yet; matrimony remained indispensable for a woman's economic stability
and personal security.1 As such, many entered into matrimonial unions with minimal contention,
assuming a predetermined array of duties and roles that adhered to societal expectations regarding the
idealised concept of womanhood. It was incumbent upon her to uphold the cleanliness and organisation
of the household, while also attending to the needs of her husband, and of paramount importance, to
conceive and nurture children. Under this framework, a woman's prescribed role was exclusively
restricted to issues pertained with domestic concerns, encompassing her home and familial duties. This
societal construct of the mid-nineteenth century, later coined by historian Barbara Welter as the "cult of
true womanhood," delineated an authentic woman as one who embodied the "four cardinal virtues –
piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity."2 These attributes constituted the pathway for a woman
to secure her esteemed status within society, embodying the ideals of a devout spouse and nurturing
mother. Jeanne Peterson depicted these women as the ‘angel in the house,’ symbolising their profound
spiritual connection and their role in fostering familial piety.3 They were tasked with creating a sanctuary
1
Lydia Murdoch, Daily Life of Victorian Women (England: Greenwood Publishers, 2013), 3.
2
Barbara Welter, “The Cult of True Womanhood: 1820-1860,” American Quarterly 18 (1996): 152.
3
Jeanne Peterson, “No Angels in the House: The Victorian Myth and the Paget Women,” The American Historical
Review 89 (1983): 677.
2
