Relations Between Women In The 18th And

19th Centuries. Essay, Research Paper

Relations between women in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Theme: Relations between women in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Thesis: Relationships between women in the nineteenth century America created a

web of love and support for women. Mothers and daughters, sisters and friends

from childhood formed emotional and sometimes physical bonds that lasted

lifetimes. These ties were acknowledged and easily accepted in their societies.

Many women survived unthinkable hardships such as geographical isolation, child

birth, and loss of children because of the unconditional love found in their

relations with other women.

I. Introduction

A. Female friendship of 19th century not really studied before

B. Abundance of evidence suggests very strong emotional ties between

women.

C. All types of relationships are suggested from

sisterly love to passion

D. In this world men are hardly noted

II. Defining and analyzing these relations

A. Question of method and interpretation

B. How to view same sex relations

1.Psychopathology

2.dichotomy between normal and abnormal

C. Viewing within a cultural and social setting

D. Based on the diaries of women from 35 families

from 1760s to 1880s

1.Represents brood range of women

2.Middle class

III. Sensual and platonic

A. Sarah Butler Wister and Jeannie Field Musgrove

1. Met while families vacationed; spent 2 years

together at boarding school

2. throughout life wrote to eachother talking of

their deep affection and their anguish when apart

3. Marriage brought physical separation but nor

emotional.

4. Made references that may imply a relationship

that is not necessarily platonic

5. Friendship lasted their entire lives

B. Molly and Helena

1. Met at boarding school

2. Formed friendship similar to that of Sarah and

Jeannie

3. many references to a physical relation

4. marriage brought depression and changes because

of now having male lovers.

5. Molly tells Helena she loves her as ?wives do

love their husbands?

C. Significance of these letters

1. Do not define as hetero or homosexual but as

examples of the intensity of the emotional bond

2. Force us to place female love in a particular

historical context

IV. Emotional function of such female love

A. American society characterized by strict gender-role

separation.

1. women formed supportive networks that came with

rituals for every important event in a woman’s life

from birth to death

2. these emotions supported by strict restrictions

in relations between young men and women. Two

totally separate spheres existed, women’s and men’s

B. The woman’s world was a cycle of home, church, and

visiting other women. This world was inhabited solely

by women and children. Help with domestic during illness and other

problems. Vacations often designed for old friends to meet again.

V.Women and their female kin

A. Women’s female kin were the core of this world of

female ties.

1.Relatives provided the nucleus around

which groups of friends and networks revolved.

2.Much of a woman’s life could be focuses around

her family and extended family (in-laws)

B. The mother-daughter relationship is at the center of

this world. The daughters relied on their mothers for

support and learned their female duties from them, sort

of an apprenticeship.

C. through relations with female kin, the web grew

through the non-relative friends of kin as a girl

grew she made her own friends and they were incorporated

into this familial world.

VI. Rituals in the life of a woman

A. Marriage was one of the great rituals. Support

surrounded the bride for months before hand.

B. Childbirth was a solely female ritual, friends and

relatives were present through the entire process.

VII. Conclusion

The relationships between women during this era was core to their lives

and survival. Without the love, support, and rituals surrounding their daily

lives together, many of the women would not have survived the hardships that

often presented themselves in life.

Point of Analysis: I feel that the author was a bit long winded in her

explanations of some things. There are many things that she repeats. I also

feel that she could have presented more about the lives of men. After reading

this, I wonder what the men did all day and if they had relationships like this

with their friends and male kin. It is a great essay and does show vividly the

lives of women during this time

Point of Synthesis: This article really helped me to understand the women

during this time much more. To see their lives on a much more personal level,

and how they socialized really creates a deeper and more personal understanding

of women here. Connecting this with their political lives, regional, and

religious helps to make the circle complete and create a true understanding of

women during this era.