Gender Roles In Victorian Society

In the Victorian world, men, for the most part, have substantially greater influence than women in everyday society in many different ways. Men make important political decisions for the well being of their families, while women tend to the normal chores of keeping the house clean and the children in check. “The Victorian Era was one of great social flux; tremendous advances in science and technology called into question deeply held religious beliefs while the changing legal status of women threatened to undermine traditional views of gender roles” (Dubuisson 4). The ways in which society places value over men and women is also drastically different. Men are generally admired for their intuition, understanding, reasoning and intelligence,
Gwendolyn and Cecily are guilty of conforming to female stereotypes on numerous occasions. Algernon makes an intelligent assessment when he states, “Women only [call each other sister] when they have called each other a lot of other things first” (Wilde 30). When Gwendolyn and Cecily first meet, they believe they will become very good friends until a slight, not even drastic, problem breaks them apart, but only for a little while. Once they realize that both have been wronged, they easily make up by calling each other “sister.” Wilde is reinforcing the stereotype that women specifically are very mercurial in nature and are particularly quick to change their minds over the most trivial things. “Victorian gender ideology justified itself claiming that women were destined to be mothers and wives and no more. It was God’s will, which was incontestable” (Yildirim 2). Victorian women were to conform to societal ideals and primarily take care of the household. In many instances, Wilde is confirming and agreeing to this ideology shared by most people. Men took care of the family and women were to tend to the household. Throughout the play, we find our two specific women fall victim to various differing accounts of satire regarding female gender roles. Even when given the power to make their own decisions, they fail to grasp the opportunity and instead act very inexperienced when faced with difficult decisions. After Gwendolyn and Cecily realize that the men they love have been lying to them. they have been given all the power in their respective relationships. Their inexperience with handling power creates a “dignified silence [that] seems to produce an unpleasant effect” (Wilde 59). Both of them are now handed the chance to decide whether to forgive Algernon and Jack. Neither one of them truly