context

Question 1

the victorian middle class image of women…

Answer 1

was culturally controlled

Question 2

who is Coventry Patmore?

Answer 2

best known for his book of poetry ‘The Angel in the House’, a narrative poem about the Victorian ideal of a happy marriage

Question 3

how is Coventry Patmore’s work relevant?

Answer 3

his poetry written in the 19the century reflects the expectation of Victorian women to conform to the idea of ‘separate spheres for men and women’ (Geoffrey Harvey)

Question 4

how did women cope financially in the 19th century?

Answer 4

denied political and economic power leading them to become dependent on the patriarchal society

Question 5

how were women regarded in terms of sexuality, in the 19th century?

Answer 5

1) denied any sexual feelings
2) ‘doubly victims of idealisation and abuse’, particularly the double standard in sexual morality which branded liberated women as ‘fallen’ whilst condoning their lovers
(Geoffrey Harvey)

Question 6

what is Hardy’s sympathetic and intelligent portrayal of women informed by?

Answer 6

his perception of the entanglement of gender and class issues and the importance of education and marriage ad offering social mobility