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How Does Emily Brontë Demonstrate The Balance Of Women's Power?

Decent Essays

Britain's society had an unbalance of power during the late eighteenth century amongst genders. The roles of men and women were distinct, however the women had far less say and input. In the novel Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë displays the revolutionary change amongst women beginning in the late 1860s. The barrier of not having a voice as well as restricted freedom had finally been broken down. The roles of women have progressed drastically from the stay home mother, to marriage rights, to finally the rebellious actions of women wanting to achieve their individualism. In the beginning stages of reforming women's roles, they were only stay home mothers. Women were the domestic interiors of the house, maintaining the inside and everything …show more content…

Women of these centuries were living in a world where the patriarchs (men) ruled. “In a patriarchal system, most aspects of society fall within male control, and women are frequently subordinated under male positions of power.”(Allott 2). This statement supports the limitations women were given. They were only allowed to live how their fathers and husbands deemed what was appropriate. Women were not to speak for themselves, and forced to share the beliefs of the men they were with. Emily Brontë challenges the reader and critiques her own society of the restrictions imposed upon women. Catherine Earnshaw proposes the question “What were the use of my creation if I were entirely contained here?”(Brontë 59). As a reader, this suggest Brontë is distinguishing a certain characteristic amongst women. The word “here” Brontë uses, represents the house. The idea of being one dimensional, and prohibited from engaging in political, social, and economic reforms brought the attention that women need to step out of the …show more content…

The division of the classes were clear, and depending on which one, were often quite tough to succeed in. The majority of women belonged to the lower-class like Catherine Earnshaw was. Catherine knows that “if Heathcliff and I married, we should be beggars” (72) Nelly agrees with Catherine, and marrying Edgar will give Catherine the opportunity to “escape from a disorderly, comfortless home into a wealthy respectable one” (Brontë 70). Catherine sees that social and financial stability requires being a lady, which erases the rebel she once was. It was not unusual for women to search for a man who was well

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