Factors Of The Rise And Success Of The Women’s Suffrage Movement In Victorian England
“I would rather be a rebel than a slave. ” (Emmeline Pankhurst). Emmeline Pankhurst perfectly describes the general belief of the Women’s Suffrage Movement in England’s Victorian Age. The Victorian Era spans form 1837-1901. This time period in England was a time of optimism with an economic boom, expansion of the middle class, reform bills, and Queen Victoria who epitomized family life. But much of this period was also a time of social reform relating to the laws, attitudes and views of, not only with the rights of women, but with the rights of the working class in general. The National Union of Women’s Suffrage (NUWS), established in 1897, by Millicent Fawcett, made no real progress. The NUWS was lead by very passive women who that the way to invoke change was through non-violent protest. The thought behind this approach stemmed from the beliefs of how a lady should behave. Be seen but not heard. The lack of change that people saw under the leadership of this group led to the organization of women under the leadership of Emmeline Pankhurst. The Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU, also known as the Suffragettes), was born. This group was not afraid to take more drastic measures when required and formed a kind of militant stance, which lead to protests, sometimes violent, and arrests of those participating.
Although the Women’s Suffrage Movement took place toward the end of the Queen’s reign, the literature of the Victorian Era is still of major importance. This literature is considered to be that of “realism” and is the bridge between the Romantic Period and 20th Century Literature. The authors and poets of this time were definitely influenced but the “romantics” that came before them; however, these “realist authors and poets wrote about day to day problems such as the poverty and the struggles that both women and the working class faced during this time”. This era also “saw the rise of some of the best novelists of all time. ” Lewis Carroll, Charlotte Bronte and the Bronte sisters are only a few of the authors who gained fame in this Era. All of that being noted, it can be said that the mindset of the people, the leadership of very strong women who were determined to make a change as well as the authors of the Victorian Age all lead to the rise and success of the Women’s Suffrage Movement in Victorian England. One of the most important women of this movement was Millicent Fawcett (1846-1929) and was an icon of her time. She was born into a very wealthy family that allowed her to obtain an education. Fawcett was educated at a private boarding school in London and fell in love with Literature and the idea of education for all people not just the upper class of society.
At the age of 19 she attended a speech given by, John Stuart Mill. His speech about equal rights for women made a huge impact on her life and the way she began to look at the world. It was through her association and friendship with Mills that she was introduced to another member of Parliament, Henry Fawcett and they married soon afterward. When Henry Fawcett fell sick and died on November 6, 1884 she was only 38 years old. Having no husband and her children grown she decided that it was her turn to move in to the political arena on her own. Because of her ability to simplify very complex arguments, a clear voice and therefore a good speaker, she found success in the suffragist movement. Her political moves and policies are still acts to aspire to and follow. She didn’t fall in with the violent protesters around her, as many of the activists of her age did. Instead she became the founder and leader of the National Union of Women Suffrage Societies (NUWSS). It was then that she became a peaceful, yet fierce campaigner for women’s rights and in 1890 she became the founder and leader of the National Union of Women Suffrage Societies (NUWSS). As the social climate changed, and the obvious lack of real advancement of women’s rights, the more militant organizations began to engage in direct action. Millicent Fawcett died on August 5, 1929 and will always be considered an inspiration for the women’s suffrage movement as well as an exception wife and mother. Emmilene Pankhurst (1858-1928), founder of the Women’s Social and Political Union WPSU, was born in Manchester, England to a family that had a “tradition of radical politics”.
Therefore she was literally born to become a passionate activist for women and their right to vote, however it wasn’t until her husband’s death in 1898 that she threw herself into the women’s suffrage movement. Becoming disillusioned with the NUWSS, Pankhurst founded the more militant Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU). Through this organization she led a very passionate group of like-minded women who were “willing to take part in drastic action. ” Emmilene Pankhurst became a voracious fighter of women’s rights. She did what others wouldn’t do for the good of the cause. “Pankhurst defended the militant tactics on the grounds that: The condition of our sex is so deplorable that it is our duty to break the law in order to call attention to the reasons why we do. ” Emmeline died on June 14th, 1928 and even after her death, people still continued to fight for equal rights, living by her mantra: “We are here, not because we are law-breakers; we are here in our efforts to become law-makers. ” Not only were the organizations very influential in helping to change the attitude of society toward women, but the power of literature of the time cannot be overlooked. The Victorian Era saw the emergence of some of the best novelist of all time. The rise of popularity can probably be explained because of the new humor and character of the writing. This new style of writing is characterized mainly through the fact that it was now easily understood and modernized. Sarcasm was also used quite a bit, which had “a huge impact on the way people would think as they were reading or speaking. ” Lewis Carroll is only one of the author’s to come out of this time period. His most popular and successful book was Alice in Wonderland, first published in 1865. Through his artistic writing he was able to shed light on the social problems and inequalities in England during the Victorian Era. Though, at first glance the novel may just look like a quirky children’s story, it also illustrates the lifestyle of Victorian England and the mindset of the people at that time. Carroll also uses this novel to mock the kind of children’s literature that was being written at the time. The authors of this type of literature, according to Carroll, only wrote to educate children with morals and was lacking in the realm of educating children to use their real imagination.
The world that Lewis Carroll presents in Alice in Wonderland is the miniature model of the society of the Victorian age and is meant for both children and adults alike. It has a sense of absurdity mixed with a combination of the new English language and logic. Each character in this novel has a purpose. For instance, the Queen of Hearts is written in direct correlation to her counterpart, Queen Victoria. Taken beyond the obvious, she is also said to represent the average, adult woman of the time with “frequent mood swings and being emotionally unpredictable. ” The irrational and violent nature that Carroll depicts creates a character clearly unfit for a leadership role. This depiction clearly shows the author’s underlying societal message: that a woman is unfit for the throne or any other role of dominance in society outside of the household. The king in the novel is shown as a kind, gracious and forgiving king. This, set in contrast to the negative characterization of the queen, constructs an image for the children reading the story: that men belong on the throne in a leadership position as they are better capable of seeing the larger picture with positivity and clarity. The other characters in this novel: the Cheshire Cat, the Hatter, the White Rabbit, and others, that Alice encounters along her journey she finds rather absurd and not logical in their behaviors and remarks. Through these characters Lewis is illustrating the narrow-mildness’ of the Victorian society. The character of Alice herself, however, is depicted as a strong and brave and assertive character as she is shown to be very critical of her surroundings and the adults she meets.
Yet, as she encounters a number of problems along the way, she tends to falter in coping with the people of Wonderland. She is a rational human being who has been placed in an unusual world and she struggles to adjust. The character of Alice, should have been a strong feminist role model but is shown at he end of the novel leaving her adventures in her dreams. Carroll alludes to the idea that society expects women shouldn’t pursue their dreams and aspirations, only dream about them. Many critics believe that Alice in Wonderland was a vehicle for Lewis Carroll to demonstrate his true beliefs about the society he lived in. They believed he chose sarcasm as a way to attack the preachy and impersonal British education. That the adults in Wonderland were representatives of the governesses and professors of the that time; the foolish, arbitrary, cruel and mad world that the children of that time period experienced on a daily basis. In addition to the educational issues Carroll chose to show his support of the Women’s Suffrage Movement by showing how society believes that the role of women should be subservient, docile, discreet and domestic, yet Alice really holds none of those characteristics. She is a brave, active and impatient young lady who strives to make a change in the society she has fallen into. In addition to Lewis Carroll, the Bronte sisters cause quite a stir in Victorian England. “Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrong. ” (Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte). Emily, Anne, Elizabeth and Maria Bronte all helped pave the way for feminism in the Victorian Era. Their novels alone were driven “by sheer rage against the patriarchy”. Charlotte, in particular was considered by some to be an “uncompromising feminist trailblazer”. There is no doubt that she was very forward thinking in her beliefs. She continuously fought for the oppressed women of her time through her writings however, was never part of any women’s suffrage organizations. She withdrew from the society that did not fully accept who she was and only felt comfortable in expressing her “stifled ideals through her words. ” The novel, Jane Eyre definitely has autobiographical elements combined with some of the romantic notions of the period. The main character, Jane, not only strongly resembles Charlotte physically but her insight into the Victorian Society double standard mirrors Charlotte’s view of her own world. It is through Jane that Charlotte is able to express her resentment toward the society who has scorned her and has left her only options of a career to a governess or a teacher. Both of which only symbolized a greater bondage to the narrow mindedness of the male counterparts of the time.
All of the Bronte sisters strived to be who they wanted to be not matter what the society of the day deemed to be respectful. With this idealism, they paved the way for the female authors to follow. The women’s suffrage movement that actually began well before the Victorian Era and spanned into the early 1900’s was met with mixed emotions throughout the fight. The movement was met with quite a few setbacks and very few accomplishments until after the First World War. The women like Millicent Fawcett and Emmeline Pankhurst and the men who came before them and continued to support them along the way, worked tirelessly for the rights of all women. Authors such as Lewis Carroll who satirically portrayed societies vision of women and their limited roll in society and Charlotte Bronte and her sisters who lived the lives they so desperately wanted through their characters and their characters experiences also shed light onto the problem of keeping women suppressed within the restraints of a male society. Without those who came before us, who knows what the world would look like now.
