Women in the Victorian Era ~ The Image of Women in the Victorian Era / myLot

@celticeagle (190157)

Boise, Idaho

January 7, 2026 1:01pm CST

Every step, every breath, and every word were all set by certain rules of conduct. These rules dictated how they should dress, how they should think, even what they should feel. The female mind was considered a threat. Societies ideal image of a woman was that of a weak, submissive and completely powerless entity where any attempt at individuality was unheard of. The body of the woman was tightly laced up and kept away from prying eyes. The mere desire to do something alone such as go for a walk or have lunch in a restaurant by herself could permanently scar her reputation. But what was lifelike for the young women after the debutante ball? She has found a suitor and now what?

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4 responses

Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (323168)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

7 Jan

I'm glad I don't live in that era.

2 people like this

celticeagle

@celticeagle (190157)

• Boise, Idaho

7 Jan

Me too. I'd have gotten in a lot of trouble.

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Fleur

@Fleura (35192)

• United Kingdom

7 Jan

The funny thing is that we talk about 'the Victorians', 'the Georgians' and all the rest as if they were different people, foreigners... it sounds mad to tell you that I only recently really put two and two together and really understood that my grandparents were Victorians; my great-great-grandparents were Georgians. And I have to tell you that my grandmother was definitely not weak or submissive. Neither was her mother nor any of her relatives. Yes they were limited in what they were allowed to achieve, but within those bounds they did well. They ran businesses, travelled to India and Australia, one was a headmistress. They were never debutantes, only the landed gentry experienced that, and they couldn't go for lunch in a restaurant alone or in company because there were none!

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celticeagle

@celticeagle (190157)

• Boise, Idaho

8 Jan

We do? Were they in London or another city? That could have something to do with it. London society was very strict. Other cities may not have been. What you are describing doesn't sound like women of the Victorian Era which was from 1837 until 1901.They couldn't own a business. It was all in the man's name.

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celticeagle

@celticeagle (190157)

• Boise, Idaho

9 Jan

@Fleura .......Yes, they did. They were cheap labor in so many instances. Some had similar celebrations as the debutante balls. Just not as fancy. They still go on today.

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Fleur

@Fleura (35192)

• United Kingdom

9 Jan

@celticeagle I agree they couldn't own a business, but they played a big part in running family businesses (which most businesses were then). And in some cases they were running what we would nowadays call a business - my mother's two aunts, for example (sisters who were not married) ran a guest house. No they didn't live in London nor in any other city, they lived in small villages on the whole or in market towns. I know when the Victorian era was; my grandparents were born in the 1870s and 80s. Debutantes were only from the upper classes, ordinary people didn't have that experience.

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