The Middle Ages, also known as the Dark Ages, lasted from 500-1500 C.E. Around that time, the Western Roman Empire fell, causing everything to go out of order in Western Europe. People during that time were basically Romans, and those living in the Eastern Roman Empire - the Byzantine Empire - were also Romans. Hence, the culture in the Medieval Ages was similar to the culture in the Byzantine Empire. Cultures, throughout the world, build on one another - just like how the Roman Empire influenced the Medieval Culture. The Medieval culture influenced American culture today. Art, music, along with clothing are all major cultural aspects from the Middle Ages.
The Gilded Age was an age of rapid economic growth. Railroads, factories, and mines were slowly popping up across the country, creating a variety of new opportunities for entrepreneurs and laborers alike. These new inventions and opportunities created “...an unprecedented accumulation of wealth” (GML, 601). But the transition of America from a small farming based nation to a powerful industrial one created a huge rift between social classes. Most people were either filthy rich or dirt poor, with workers being the latter.
Most of the time only the rich could afford to have their clothes tailored. This is because it could take “several fittings a month” (Source 2. 6) just to get a coat made. This was not the case when tailoring first started out however. When tailoring first started out people often had to be sewn into their clothes making getting dressed difficult. Tailored clothes were also designed with much more aesthetic detail such as pictures being “embroidered by hand” (Source 2. 5) which meant clothes took hours upon hours to finish. These fancy clothes were a symbol of wealth because only the rich could afford to have these clothes custom made for them. Lower or middle class people often had their own family members making clothes for them because they could not afford to have a tailor. Most clothes made by lower to middle class people were only made of “one or two pieces of cloth” (Source 2. 4) in order to conserve cloth for other clothing. As time when on tailoring changed from making fancy designs to making clothes that fit the body well and looked good. The objective of nice clothes was now to make the body look better, not disguise it. We see this continue now, into the modern area, as we use out latest technological advancements to improve the on the clothing we wear
Mark Twain once stated, "History never repeats itself, but it does rhyme." Through this quote, the author suggests that, like a rhyme, history sounds very similar. This is evident when viewing the Elizabethan Era and comparing it to today. Specific details might differ but some key points do shine through. The social classes of the Elizabethan era are similar to todays through the merchants control of the middle class, the support for the poor, and the separate lifestyles of the ranks.
Although still not entirely popular or accepted, women also began to emerge more and more in postsecondary education. Women were only seldom allowed to go to college in the beginning of the 1920’s and when they did, they attended an all-women's school. By 1921 a woman was enrolled in a college that did not traditionally allow women (Benner). This was a monumental step for women’s educational rights. Women were allowed to graduate and become nurses or teachers, the only careers seen fit for women. This was a limitation for women, but this limitation only encouraged women to surpass their expectations and push the limits of what they could achieve as strong and successful members of society.“...by the end of the decade, women represented 47%
Prior to the Civil War the antebellum South was structured by a class system. The particular class system used by the south was a structure of social rankings. Typically, this system was dependent on how much land, as well as slaves one owned. Then based off of those requirements there were then six specific classes that one would fall into.
Poverty in Europe from 1450 to 1700 was a huge issue that stuck around for centuries. The wars that took place during this time always seemed to negatively affect the poor the most. The poor, consisting of the majority of the European population, was never taken into consideration during these wars which is ironic considering these wars were caused in the name of religion. This situation, combined with weak leadership and in many countries a heavy taxation system, such as those found in England under the leadership of James I and his son Charles I, or under the leadership of absolute monarchs like Louis XIV, prevented the poor from rising in social status. The way people regarded “the poor” in Europe from 1450-1700 differed significantly based
Men had a dominant role in society during the Elizabethan Era. Men could do many things that women were not allowed to do. A man was able to chastise his wife if he felt the need, as long as he was not cruel and did not inflict bodily harm, but a woman was never allowed to chastise her husband. Women were also not allowed to enter the professions with the exception being women could work in domestic services (Thomas). Another thing men could do that women could not was inherit family property (“Daily Life in the Elizabethan Era”). Women were not allowed to inherit property and so the oldest son inherited everything (Alchin). Women were also not allowed to act on the public stage or write for the public stage. Instead, young boys played the roles of women (Thomas). All discoveries were also accredited to men. During the Elizabethan Era, there were discoveries in astronomy, cartography, and land surveying that was accredited to men (Klingele). One last thing women could not do but
Social class played a key role in the Elizabethan Age; without social hierarchy society would have fallen apart, the people did not know of anything else other than the role of classes. Each class had different situations of life, some were wealthy and had nice homes while others were poor and living off of the streets. The class rankings were given to each individual by situations such as birth, fame, wealth, and known skills(“Elizabethan Era.”). One could only move up a class by the Queen's approval, obtaining sudden wealth, going into debt, losing your job, and many other specific conditions(“Elizabethan Era - The Lost Colony.”). For instance, marriage between two people from separate classes could alter social class and was often frowned upon. In the Elizabethan age, social class structure was paramount. The class ranking dictated how the people of each level could dress, the diet and food available, and career standing.
In any decade fashion was a way of saying something. One of the women’s careers was being in the fashion industry. Some of them set their lives as working on things to express themselves and other women. Fashion for women characterized the free spirited, the independence they gained about themselves and who they were, who they are. Also getting dressed as a women depended on many other things. For instance, what they were doing, the time they did it at and with who they were with. Fashion is way of many different attitudes and things its a easy way to let things out.
During the Elizabethan era, women were considered subordinate to men. Laws gave men the power over women. They were expected to obey their male relatives and had few rights. Any disobedience is considered an offense to their religion. Women were not allowed to take any career. Their only job is to bear children and run the household. Cleaning, cooking, taking care of the children and doing other chores is how their everyday lives go.
Despite the government having a rather equal relationship in terms of class since the commoners are involved, the Elizabethan society was patriarchal; men were superior to women because they were the weaker sex, physically and emotionally. Regardless of social class, women were not allowed to vote, not allowed to go to a university, not allowed to have professions such as being lawyers or doctors; only domestic service, not allowed to act in theatres, and most certainly not allowed to inherit any of her father’s titles, except for the crown of course, and if the woman is the only heir of her father. Aside from all these limitations, women are expected to be fully obedient to their husbands, meaning never to question them; only obedience, for disobedience would mean punishment, to be dependent on their male relatives especially if they were single, to bear children as much as possible to keep the lineage alive, to maintain the household and manage everything, and still be presentable in terms of appearance, especially the women of the high social class. But, compared to the women of other societies, Elizabethan women exercise far more freedom than any women in world history. Especially those of the noble class, women were allowed education (from tutors) in subjects other than housewifery. Subjects such as speaking different languages like Latin, Italian, Greek, and French, the Classics, Mathematics, other academic subjects, as well as music and dancing skills that were essential qualities of the women if the Elizabethan period. The life of Elizabethan women was certainly not easy, with arranged marriages, subservience to men, and childbirth and housewifery, but they are, compared to other women of any period of history, quite
However, the 1920s, the time of the Flapper, promoted this very slim, almost boyish body, and the clothes were very straight so that it didn’t show any curves. Both of these photos, as well as other times in history with pictures of the ideal woman’s body can be seen at here.
Blood brothers is a musical written by Willy Russell. The play begins with an introduction to Mrs. Johnstone who describes her experience of a failed marriage and the arrival of numerous children. She bitter-sweetly accepts that her husband has deserted her to cope alone with not one but two children on the way. She works as a housemaid in the home of mr and Mrs.. lyons. While Mrs. Johnstone’s house is always filled with chaotic with constant clamor of childhood gmes and battles, Mrs. lyons often alone as mr lyons is mostly away for business, in a flawless house that somewhat suffers from a cold and sterile atmosphere. Mrs. lyons desperately pressures Mrs. Johnstone into passing one of twins on to her, as mr and Mrs. lyons cannot have a baby
Consumo ergo sum - I consume, therefore I am. This turn on the classic phrase I think, therefore I am has become increasingly popular, especially used for reflection on our society and by critics of capitalism. In order to understand our society better, it is important to descry the origins of the capitalistic ecosphere we live in. Traces of consumerism can be found throughout all ages of humanity, however a particularly great shift took place in the eighteenth century. This essay intends to prove that the new culture of consumerism influenced the British society in all aspects during this period. [Why Britain? add Neil Mc Kendrick/Brewer Talk]