Middle-Class Women In The 19th Century

In the early 19th century, there were not many options outside of marriage for middle-class women which is likely due to the taboo that surrounded woman of the middle-class needing to work. The opening paragraph James Hammerton’s article “Feminism and Female Emigration” explains that even education for these women was geared toward preparing them for married life, which ultimately hindered those with the intent of entering the female workforce. Incidentally, there was a disparity between the population of women and men at the time, so many women did not have the opportunity to be married. This ultimately prompted many to search for jobs, but only within the boundaries of what their class deemed acceptable, especially within the borders of the
According to data used by James Hammerton, the majority of women searching for work through the FMCES became governesses upon arriving at their destinations. Some of the woman mentioned in the article are noted to have found great joy in their work as they were treated like members of the family, rather than workers. In contrast, the situation of Agnes Grey is starkly different as she is treated as an inferior, even by those over which she is intended to have command. Despite this, her condition is favorable to that of a working class woman because she will not have to subject herself to the dangerous environments of factory, mine, and wash workers. Furthermore, middle-class woman could often keep their wages for themselves because their families were sufficient without their contribution, and such stability gave them the capacity to work on and off and return home on specific occasions, which were benefits likely unavailable for those of the working
In Agnes Grey, Anne Brontë illustrates that being a governess is such a bad occupation by presenting horrible aspects of the job, including the unruly children, condescending employers, and distant work places. For example, in her first job as a governess, she is expected to teach and care for a child who passes the time by torturing small animals, a pastime encouraged by his parents and uncle. Furthermore, the child’s mother approaches Agnes with a blatant lack of respect and consideration, especially in the scene in which she berates Agnes for euthanizing the birds that were to be tortured by her son. In both scenarios, Brontë highlights the lack of respect a governess receives from both her employer and her pupils. Another difficulty Agnes encounters is falling in love while she is employed in her second stint as a governess. Since she is mostly controlled by the desires of her employer and pupil, she is not able to pursue much of a social life outside of the family's home. Furthermore, her pupil, Rosalie, openly flirts with Agnes’ love interest, and she is powerless to act against her charge. The inability to freely pursue her love interest or enjoy other social actions exhibits the lack of freedom Anne has when she is bound by her work. In fact, it is only until she begins working at home with her mother that she is able to enjoy the freedom she had previously