The Cult of True Womanhood by Abagail Eldan

In the "Cult of True Womanhood," the woman was seen as the giver of children and their moral guide (as of course, she is). The home was her sphere of influence and was off-limits to a man's dictates. (We see this even today although, thankfully, less frequently and less zealously. Still today, some view men as incapable of caring for children in the "correct" way, although that is not the scope of this post.)

Most women did not clamor to be free of the constraints of "True Womanhood" although it had its disadvantages. In the 1700s through the 1800s, and in some places even later, the wife generally had little to no say in the use of assets, even if she was the one who brought them into the marriage. A perfect example of this is seen in "Downton Abbey." The wife's assets cannot even be used to provide an income for the daughters--all money is bound up in the estate. 

Another problem with the concept of "True Womanhood" was that women did not have the right to vote. Remember that their sphere of influence resided in the home? Some women found the raising of children, male children specifically, was satisfactory and gave them a great purpose in life.

Two quotes come to mind: 

And, certainly, the mother's influence can scarcely be overemphasized. But again, how much did the "Cult of True Womanhood" hurt the father's role in the raising of children? Unfortunately, some men readily embraced their diminished responsibility. Ernest Hemingway, for example, said, "To be a successful father... there's one absolute rule: when you have a kid, don't look at it for the first two years."

Not only did "The Cult of True Womanhood" hurt women, but it also hurt men in their roles as father, and the children by missing out on the godly influence of two parents. Some men, it is true, went beyond societal norms and became the fathers they needed to be, but it was the exception, not the norm. 

The third result of "The Cult" was that of making women economically, socially, and culturally dependent upon their husbands. Because of this, education for women lagged behind that of men. Men as providers of the family were the ones to be educated, regardless of the intellectual powers of the daughters. 

An illustration of this is another television show, Victoria on BBC. Victoria's eldest child was a daughter of keen intellect; their second child, a son who failed to excel at his studies. And, yet, who became monarch? King Edward, a renowned playboy.

The idea of the "New Woman" arose in opposition to "The Cult of True Womanhood," and over time, the laws have changed. Women gained the right to vote and are allowed to own property and given equal opportunity to education. 

In my books, I often explore this theme and its resultant conflicts. After all, the West was the arena where many of these advances were birthed!

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Short bio:

I am a nerd, a scholar at heart, and would be a full-time student if only someone would pay me a salary! After receiving a B.S. in Education, with a major in biology and a minor in psychology, I continued my studies at Auburn University, pursuing a master's in biology. I also became certified to teach the physical sciences, mathematics, and English. (Yes, I lived my early life in the universities!) 

I am retired from teaching and live with my husband, as well as too many dogs, not enough cats, and one (outside) horse. My goal is to add to the menagerie one day!