Essay On The Role Of Women In Medieval Europe

Throughout history, women have often been subjected to prejudice and an inferior status to men. Due to sexist ideologies of men believing that women are not capable of controlling their own lives, women have often been reduced to the status of property. This concept is prominent in many pieces of literature to demonstrate the struggles women have to go through in a predominantly, male structured world. In the novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, the author illustrates a woman’s battle in an extreme society ruled by men to express the misogyny occurring in the time period when it was written, 1894. Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia summarizes Atwood’s story as one that “depicts one woman’s chilling struggle to survive in a society ruled by misogynistic fascism, by which women are reduced to the condition of property.” Although written 100 years earlier, this is also seen in the novel, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, by Thomas Hardy, because both authors show the oppression of women through the experiences the characters go through and the means of survival they use.

Women of the Medieval Times Women have always had a significant role in history even though they were treated horrible in most cases. During the Medieval Times was really the first time women were allowed to become more than just a house wife. The fight for equality has always been a struggle and even in today’s society is still an ongoing battle. Although women of lower and middle class were treated poorly in the Medieval Times, some powerful women held great responsibility and were looked up too by both men and children; despite being admired, “men were thought to be not only physically stronger but more emotionally stable, more intelligent, and morally less feeble” (Hopkins 5). “The position of women in the Medieval Society was greatly influenced by the views of the Roman Catholic Church” (Heeve).

During the sixteenth century era, there was a high superiority complex among men and women. The difference between women in the sixteenth century and the twenty first century is massive. Women back then were mere belongings of men and had no individual power or freedom. The picture has changed a lot since then in terms of women and their socio-economic and political rights. The olden mentality of inferiority of women was largely present during this era.

In the renaissance period, the status and the presentation of women was oppressive and restrictive. Women were allowed to enjoy very few economic and political rights and acted submissively in front of their fathers and husbands. They were forced to remain in the domestic part of their society. Their roles as daughters, mothers and wives were considered significant in the renaissance age. Their reproductive capabilities was extremely important for inheritances and for maintaining the family line.

The only job that women were allowed to do was to help their husbands in their farms. But that all had changed when the United States went into wars and men had to go fight for the country. Women began to occupy a few jobs like working in munition factories or becoming the angels of mercy and working as nurses to relieve the soldiers’ pain. That was the starting point for women to begin demanding to work like men. Although occupied few jobs for very low pay, women were still not considered a part of the work force and they did not have any formal workplace rights and usually faced discrimination and unfair treatment from the other gender.

Throughout the 16th century Reformation through the Enlightenment in the 18th century, was a period of time that saw both change and continuation in European society. One of the biggest examples of this was the role of women and how they should function in European society. Women in this era faced a large amount of hardships and obstacles from great leaders and philosophers such as Martin Luther and Immanuel Kant, who were both against the equality of women to men at this time. From the time period of the 16th century Reformation all the way up to the Enlightenment in the 18th century, the women of Europe were viewed as fragile and unworkable women whose main priority and purpose should only be being a housewife. As time progressed, women

Weak and irrational, are just a couple terms used to describe women. These terms paint women as things that must be controlled, cause if not, they are not only a detriment to themselves but society as well. Very rarely is a woman described as strong, brave or independent, instead such terms are implied, forcing a reader to read between the lines. St. Perpetua is a prime example, she fights against the patriarchal society, breaking through stereotyping and emerging a new woman both strong and brave. Stereotyping is a very dangerous tool used to force a person into a specific role.

Throughout history discrimination has had a negative impact on people and has cause certain groups of people to suffer. Discrimination can be against people of different race, religion, gender and sexuality and in the late 1800’s women were one of the groups that were discriminated. Women had to fight hard to obtain the rights they now have in the 21st century and many of the women who fought for equal rights didn’t get to experience those rights since laws in their favor weren’t passed until years and years of fighting. In the late 1800’s American women were discriminated because they were not granted the same rights as men in the workforce, women had to be obedient to their husbands in their marriage and society had certain norms that women

It is an often argumentative topic as to what shapes The United States of America today. Many events have had an influence to Americans behavior. But one in specific stands out amongst the others. Women. Women obviously had a rough start in the early years of The United States.

During this period there were a lot of issues and problems but there were some prominent ones, like: Women Suffrage, Temperance or Food and Health. Women Suffrage, one of the biggest problem that the women had to deal to reach the freedom that they were looking for. Carrie Catt was important in the women 's suffrage