The Woman Question: nineteenth century women's rights in the works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Augusta Webster and Mona Caird

Abstract

Amidst a period characterised by major societal changes and considerable economic and social processes, nineteenth century women have been confronted by a disheartening reality where their lives had been objectified by men, but most importantly were deprived of the rights that were entitle to the men of their own social class. Despite being under the reign of the female monarch Victoria, the Queen still expressed mixed opinions on this issue. This thesis aims to explore the influence of patriarchy on women’s rights throughout the ages, it will do so by focusing on the history of women’s role in society and especially on the so-called “Woman’s Question” during the Victorian era. It will explore the themes of education, careers, and marriage rights in three different literary works by three women writers. In the first chapter, the gendered education customs are introduced and how they deeply affected women’s lives and job opportunities through Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Aurora Leigh. The second chapter concentrates on the theme of the few working opportunities that were open to women, but especially how insufficient education of the lower classes would often lead to prostitution, through an analysis of the poem A Castaway by Augusta Webster. Lastly, the third and last chapter examines the change in marriage rights through the essay by Mona Caird, titled The Morality of Marriage, and how women continued to be disadvantaged because of their sex.