Building Background Knowledge Women in the 18th Century 1. What were women’s roles during the 18th century? Women’s roles during this time consisted of household duties including spinning, sewing, preserving food, animal husbandry, cooking, cleaning, budgeting, and raising children. Their roles also included marriage and with it the expectation of bearing children. 2. By what age were young girls usually married? Young girls were typically married around the age of 20 to 25 years old. 3. What happened to women once they were married? Once women were married, they were expected to have children quickly. 4. When did women begin to focus on changing the common law of male superiority? Women only really began advocating for change to the practice of male superiority in the late 19 th century. Women in the 19th Century 1. Describe the “Cult of Domesticity.” The “Cult of Domesticity” was the adopted idea that a proper women was submissive and having a domesticated behavior, to not show opposition toward their role. 2. Explain the idea of “separate spheres.” The idea “separate spheres” was the categorization of men and women into different spheres where each sex was superior within its own sphere. The women’s sphere consisted of privacy, family, and morality, while the men’s sphere was the public, economics, politics, and social competition. This idea was formed to help create equality. 3. Discuss the Women’s Christian Temperance Movement (WCTU). The WCTU was a religious organization of women whose goal was to combat the influence of alcohol on families and young adults. Women were in charge of morality during this time so it was their duty to combat such things. They would eventually go on to lobby for women’s suffrage, abstinence with other drugs, peace, sanitation, and many more issues. Women in the 20th Century http://www.wic.org/misc/history.htm 1.Discuss the ways in which women accomplished a reevaluation of traditional views of their role in society. Instead of staying at home. During the 19TH century women began to work in textile mills and garment shops. This shifted the perspective from only males could provide for the family and everything of a woman’s was there property. In colonial America women were eventually able to practice the same jobs as men not just the women centered jobs. Women were eventually allowed to vote in 1920. Sense then women have been making their way up through the ranks of government. Woman eventually gained the right to join the armed forces. Women also became active in reform movements whose goals included the betterment of society. All of these major changes challenged traditional values that included women staying at home, keeping their ideas to themselves, the idea that women weren’t physically able as men were, and did not have a say in politics. Literary Devices Employed in Literary Works http://literary-devices.com 1. Define the following and provide an example of each: Theme: a subject that is being discussed or mediated, ex.) The book was about patriotism. Symbol: to use of symbols to express or represent an idea, ex.) The greenlight in Gatsby represents hope. Motif: a distinctive detail or idea in literature, ex.) The words “cheerful”, “sunny”, and “smiling” help show the motif of “happy”. Analogy: a comparison of two things to explain the one, ex.) “Life is a box of chocolates”, you never know what you are going to get. Anecdote: a short story revealing an incident of an actual person, ex.) A mother telling her daughter an experience she had when she was young. Foreshadowing: the organization of ideas in a text that gives so insight on what will happen later, ex.) Saying “I have a bad feeling about this”, then something bad happening. Imagery: descriptive details in a text, usually sensory details that help the reader picture what is going on in the text, ex.) The sky was dark as the sea and the wind howling as a cold raindrop hit my face. ACTIVITIES 1. http://www.archives.gov/research/alic/reference/womens-history.html#suffrage The above link will take you to a list of websites relevant to women in the United States. Choose one website to explore. Once you explore it, design a poster showing three things you found interesting. (Sent with another submission) 2. http://www.greatwomen.org/women-of-the-hall/view-all-women Navigate through the above link and choose one important woman from the list. Read her short biography and then construct a talking character in http://blabberize.com of the woman you choose. You will be presenting your Blabberize character to the class. I tried on the computer and my phone and cannot get Blabberize to record my voice. For Critical Thinking First, review these articles arguing against the Women’s Suffrage Movement: http://web.archive.org/web/20060705161904/http://www.history.rocheste r.edu/class/suffrage/Anti.html http://web.archive.org/web/20080320205601/http://www.history.rocheste r.edu/class/suffrage/Ant-oth.html Then, go to this link, http://mentalfloss.com/article/52207/12-cruel-antisuffragette-cartoons ,where you will find several political cartoons that were used to argue against the Women’s Suffragist Movement. Pick one cartoon and analyze it using the Cartoon Analysis Worksheet that I have provided right below. Cartoon Analysis Worksheet Taken from: The National Archives at http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/cartoon.html Level 1 Visuals 1. List the objects or people you see in the cartoon. Words (not all cartoons include words) 1. Identify the cartoon caption and/or title. Origin and Development of a Sufferagette 2. Locate three words or phrases used by the cartoonist to identify objects or people within the cartoon. The phrases “pet”, “Couquette”, “At 40 not married yet”, and “Sufferagette” are used to define women during this time. 3. Record any important dates or numbers that appear in the cartoon. Important numbers include 15, 20, 40, 50 to show the stages a women goes through if and when and why she becomes a sufferagette. Level 2 Visuals Words 2. Which of the 4. Which words or phrases in the cartoon appear to be the most objects on your significant? Why do you think so? list are The phrase “At 40 not married yet” seems the most significant as it suggests that the women is most likely crazy or something is wrong with her if she is not married yet. This is symbols? 3. What do you 5. think each symbol means? indicating this must be what pushed her to become a suffragette. List adjectives that describe the emotions portrayed in the cartoon. The emotions in this cartoon start out as innocent to naive, then crazy to a radical. Level 3 1. Describe the action taking place in the cartoon. T The cartoon is explaining the stages of life that create a sufferagette and criticizing women’s demands for the right to vote. 2. Explain how the words in the cartoon clarify the symbols. Words in the title, like “Origin” and “Development” explain that the cartoon is the lifespan and what creates a suffragette. The word “little” also undermines women’s credibility while also explaining this stage of innocence. The phrase “votes for women” on the little white piece of paper also help to explain what a suffergate is. 3. Explain the message of the cartoon. The cartoonist is conveying the message that suffergattes do not have the credibility to vote. They phrases used portray women as not intelligent, unstable, and broken hearted to undermine. 4. What special interest groups would agree/disagree with the cartoon's message? Why? This cartoon would appeal to the male population who during this time, for the most part , did not want women to have the right to vote. This is because they thought they were either too fragile, would cheat, could cause a national security issue, or the gender roles in society would begin to shift and cause chaos. Those who would disagree with such cartoon include the women as they would be offended and want the right to vote.
