Throughout the past centuries between 1800 all the way through 2017, the gender roles between men and women have drastically changed. In the 1800’s it was very common for men to go to school, acquire an education, and use their education to earn a job that lead to a future success. The men provided a house, the food, and often, the materials needed for day to day life. As the man worked, the roles of the woman were to care and nurture the man, keep the home clean and tidy, and if any, watch after the children as they grow older.
Interestingly enough, as time progressed this very different and separated list of common roles for each gender has changed. In the novel A Scandal in Bohemia by Arthur Conan Doyle, women’s gender roles are tested by the men in the surrounding society whereas the only woman of value is Miss Irene Adler. One of the major conflicts of 1890 was the flawed education system amongst men and women. Women wanted to be educated but were constantly put down because of their gender. Two very impressive women by the names, Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Star soon founded “Hull House”“. Hull House” was a settlement house project in the 19th ward of Chicago, Illinois. Settlement houses are houses where women and men of all ages of the lower class are provided with schooling and other fun activities for them to enjoy. Over the span of one entire year, more than one-hundred “Hull Houses” were built all over the wonderful United States of America.
Women in the 1890’s were not very educated. They were usually married and had children at a very young age, compared to the years after. Another battle that women faced was the struggle to be a significant part in the workforce. Irene Adler was a major role model for women in 890 because she broke the “rules” of being a woman in her era, “She lives quietly, sings at concerts, drives out of five every day, and returns at seven sharp for dinner (Doyle 2). ” Miss Adler was a figurehead amongst women. All of the other women in A Scandal In Bohemia stayed home all day and took care of the children while the husbands were off at work. In the reality of 1890, little to no women held the power of Miss Adler. Instead, women felt extremely unequal amongst their male counterparts. It took women a very long time to gain some control of the workforce numbers amongst the sexes.
Even as far forward as 1970, the workforce census conveys that the difference between men and women’s jobs is 19. 2 million women less than men that have jobs. In the years 2006 through 2010 the numbers dramatically decreased to 8. 6 million (“Census Bureau”census. gov). That is over the span of four years That is a 10. 6 million difference in women and men’s handle on jobs. 10. 6 million. The idea that a man cannot be bested by a woman due to her simplistic duties and lack of education is unbearable. In 1890, this thought was almost common knowledge amongst the society and seemed to be changing no time soon.
Contrary to the beliefs of 1890, Arthur challenged the idea by writing in his book, “The best plans of Mr. Sherlock Holmes were beaten by a woman’s wit (Doyle 3). ” With a powerful figure such as Holmes, the unmatched detective, Adler proves that women were capable of outsmarting the most intelligent of men. This statement shows that men were not inferior to women. In A Scandal in Bohemia Doyle writes “In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex (Doyle 1)” as the story begins to unravel and expresses an idea that all other women are worthless.
Miss Adler is the only important woman and she is more interesting than all of the other women to Holmes. She and Holmes are alike in many ways and he takes a liking to that, “To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name (Doyle 2)”. Holmes is interested in her like no other because she defies the habitual practice of being a normal housewife by being a singer and a traveler. Men were able to observe how women could have more than just equality amongst men but that a woman could present an overall control over a man and be placed above him and not below.
Men also learned that women did have more abilities than given credit for and their potential for having a level playing field amongst the men grew closer. This idea shows how women could take the statement as a pivotal point to strive to make their lives more complex in comparison to their normal duties. Even in today’s society genders are divided by things as simple as shampoo and razors. There are boy shampoos and razors and girl shampoos and razors. Colors are also divided by gender, pink is always a girly color whereas blue is a more masculine color.
Scents have been gender-divided as well. Deodorant has been determined as boys or girls by the smell of it. Fruity smells are single minded for girls and pine or tough, stout smells are single minded boys deodorant. It starts at a young age with toys, cars and planes, boys. Dolls and make-up is definitely for girls. Something as simple as toothpaste starts the division of genders. Toothpaste with superheroes and cars has been determined to be only for boys. If girls use it they are judged hard and vice versa for boys. Clothes are also unwavering.
Dresses and high heels are for girls while jeans and tennis shoes are for boys. As the reader can see, even with the progress reached, modern society still manages to give labels to men and women, thus maintaining the gender gap. The expectations for women are very unachievable. Women are expected to wear high heels and dresses or skirts every day and always cook and clean for the man who brings the money to the table. Women must not be sloppy and must keep a very orderly lifestyle. Altogether, women are expected to be perfect which is impossible.
On the flipped side, men also have very unachievable expectations. Men are expected to be super strong and not cry. More importantly, they are expected to not feel pain, physically and mentally. Men must achieve an appearance of being well groomed and wealthy to appear attractive to women, “He is dark, handsome, and dashing (Doyle 4). ” In truth, each gender should equally take on each role to balance society and make progress to close the gender gap. The idea that a man cannot be bested by a woman due to her simplistic duties and lack of education is unbearable.
In 1890, this thought was almost common knowledge amongst the society and seemed to be changing no time soon. Contrary to the beliefs of 1890, Arthur challenged the idea by writing in his book, “The best plans of Mr. Sherlock Holmes were beaten by a woman’s wit (Doyle 3). ” With a powerful figure such as Holmes, the unmatched detective, Adler proves that women were capable of outsmarting the most intelligent of men. This idea shows how women could take the statement as a pivotal point to strive to make their lives more complex in comparison to their normal duties.
Men also learned that women did have more abilities than given credit for and their potential for having a level playing field amongst the men grew closer. Another situation that appeared in 1890 was the lack of respect towards women by men. Women were not seen as equals because they had no education, did not go out and work and that woman did not contribute to the money being brought to the table. Women were often viewed as simplistic house slaves who brought no further help to society than the mother of man’s children or the caretaker of man’s homes.
Arthur Doyle brought to light that women deserved respect they had been owed “… When he refers to her photograph, it is always under the honorable title of The Woman (Doyle 2). ” This Statement conveys the action that women were not just a part of a man’s world, but that woman were to be given enough respect to be noted as Women just as men were known as Men. To elaborate, this gave women the ability to fight for their right to have an equal title amongst society. All in all, the roles have changed much more in society today than what the common roles for men and women were in 1890.
For instance, men have started to divulge more into staying at home rather and taking on the home duties rather than joining the workforce. Women have also changed their roles and have begun to work more instead of staying at home to clean and cook. In a study from a website, StayatHomeDads. com, their results shown that between 1989 and 2012, a 0. 9 million difference in men stayed at home to take on housing duties while women went and worked and brought in the money. This shows how the growth to limit the gender gap has significantly increased and that it is obtainable that and women will have equal and shared roles.
In conclusion, the reader can see that woman and men’s roles over the decades have changed. Society has proven to be stubborn from its era in 1890, but with the idea that one can challenge the standa society by thinking out of the box, many things can be accomplished. Arthur further explains this thought by stating, “For strange effects and extraordinary combinations, we must go to life itself, which is always more daring than any effort of the imagination (“Biography” arthurconandoyle. com). “
