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Essay / Women in Life and Literature - 1837
When we think of women, the same basic thoughts always cross the minds of men. Too many men give women the same standard cooking, cleaning and catering roles as men. Historically, over time, the role of women has been less than that of men. These thoughts have gradually changed over time, but have not yet achieved the equality that all women seek. Thoughts such as those mentioned above are prevalent in literature, with most female characters following the same pattern of traits and intelligence in each novel. Historically, women have had to conform to specific stereotypical roles, which are often reflected in literature. Women have never had it easy, and this is clearly seen in the treatment of women over time. In the Middle Ages, the medieval era was ruled entirely by men and women had to follow the rules set by the men and do as they were told. The traditions of the time meant that women had no role in the society of the time. The towns women lived in decided what jobs a woman could do, even the wages they earned at the time were affected due to their gender. A woman could have done many of the tasks done by men, but she would still be paid less, no matter how good the work. Women of the time were generally paid around three or four pence less than a man might have earned. The laws of the time were also equally restrictive, due to the fact that they were set by men. Some laws of the time provided that women "were not allowed to marry without parental consent, could not own any business with special permission, were not allowed to divorce their husbands, could not own no property unless they were widowed and would not be able to inherit their parents' land if they ...... middle of paper ...... were required to follow the same values as expected women. The tendency to rely on the stereotype is real and still present. Feminish.com states that adults tend to attribute stereotypical gender traits to both women and men, and that there is a reluctance to attribute feminine characteristics to men. (Gender stereotypes: masculinity and femininity). In non-fiction novels, especially in textbooks, the textbook content lacks female presence. All textbooks focus on human history, in part because women played no real role for most of history. They do not focus on female figures and generally focus on acts committed by men. Women's rights did not take precedence until the 19th century. In history textbooks, men were mentioned seven times more often. (Paynter, “Gender Stereotypes and Representation in Children's Picture Books” ).