Female education in the Georgian era
25 marzo, 2013 by Bego
During Jane Austen’s time there was no education system, education of children took place in Sunday schools, or wealthy families, through a governess and tutors. There were also some «schools for women», who otherwise had a bad reputation because» real» education was received there was very poor.
On the other hand, it was common to send their sons to live in the home of a tutor, as was the father of Jane Austen. Growing up in that house, possibly the author was a highly educated woman for her time.
Many treaties of conduct for young women were popularized in the eighteenth century, teaching doctrines and moral education focusing towards domestic issues, religion and the «talents», and isolation from those other skills that would cause women to be undesirable eyes of men.
Jane Austen in her novels advocates a liberal education for women, away from all these «talents»,believing that the lack of reasonableness carries great risk for social life, for the election of a positive future and married life . In her novels, Jane Austen claims the right of women to decide who and when to marry. Her heroines are educated beyond singing and embroidery: know of literature and politics, and are indignant when men deny women the opportunity to cultivate. Here, not only the protagonists end up marrying but do so with a responsible, sensible, who loves and respects.
In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen mentions those «talents» which were supposed to be for women to be considered valid in that society:
«I find it incredible,» said Bingley, «how all the girls have so much patience to cultivate all these talents. «All paint, screens and make lining mesh bags. Had not met one who can not do all this, and I am sure which I have never spoken to a girl for the first time without referírseme how talented he was.»
«A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and modern languages to deserve the word (talented) and, besides all this, there must be something in the air and on his walk , in the tone of his voice, in his way of relating to people and their speech, not, not fully deserve the word. »
Moreover, Austen was the first writer who dared masses explicitly criticize certain behaviors and habits of a society that gave women equal rights with men, it was considered that a woman was a woman with knowledge of danger .
Finally we conclude that Jane Austen defends his liberal education for women, away from all these «talents», believing that the lack of reasonableness carries great risk for social life, for the election of a positive future and married life.
[…] the novel “Pride and Prejudice“, noting here the role of education, and therefore the education of women in the Georgian era, so different from our current society. Moreover, we will see the culture of the Georgian era, a […]