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Victoria


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How do you see the role of women in general – and Queen Victoria in particular – in the course of the novel?

Created: 01/11/17

Replies: 12

Posted Jan. 11, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

How do you see the role of women in general – and Queen Victoria in particular – in the course of the novel?

Victoria thinks Lord M must be teasing when he says that some Chartists believe that women should have the vote. There are also a number of references to "bonnets," or women, whose significance is clearly different from men's. How do you see the role of women in general – and Queen Victoria in particular – in the course of the novel?


Posted Jan. 13, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Lois Irene

Join Date: 01/20/16

Posts: 76

RE: How do you see the role of women in general – and Queen Victoria in particular – in the course of the novel?

It shows how far we have come to read of Victoria's views on women's suffrage. It seemed to be unimaginable at her time.
Victoria was seen as a creature with the power to rule and one who did have the "blood of the monarchy" in her veins. However it was the hope of most of the men in the royal court that she would be weak and easily manipulated. Showing the world that she, as a woman, could rule was set to be one of her great achievements. The fact that she believed that unlike Elizabeth, she could marry, have children and also rule was taking her femininity to an even higher level.
Over the course of the book, the role of women didn't change, however Victoria set in motion a new look at what a woman could accomplish.


Posted Jan. 13, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
laurief

Join Date: 09/08/12

Posts: 75

RE: How do you see the role of women in general – and Queen Victoria in particular – in the course of the novel?

Despite many influences over one's youth - both good and bad - a woman eventually makes up her own mind and takes control!


Posted Jan. 13, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
texanne

Join Date: 04/25/11

Posts: 14

RE: How do you see the role of women in general – and Queen Victoria in particular – in the course of the novel?

I thought it was really interesting that once Victoria accepted the role, she was willing to separate herself from those who were most important in her life. She readily saw that her mother and uncle may have had ulterior motives and she didn't want to listen to them


Posted Jan. 14, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Marcia S

Join Date: 02/08/16

Posts: 505

RE: How do you see the role of women in general – and Queen Victoria in particular – in the course of the novel?

Because she was a young woman, I think many, especially Conroy, thought they could control her. There was the undercurrent of selecting a Regent to take control. I'm sure she had to be more forceful than a man would have been to gain respect. Also, the men before who ruled and were drunks and buffoons , seemed to be able to get away with it. She was judged more harshly. Fortunately, she gained respect and was a wonderful queen.


Posted Jan. 14, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
lbellg

Join Date: 02/23/14

Posts: 46

RE: How do you see the role of women in general – and Queen Victoria in particular – in the course of the novel?

Despite the fact that Victoria was held in high regard as a sovereign, the overtones of patriarchy were still present in the interaction between the Crown and Government.


Posted Jan. 16, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
JLPen77

Join Date: 02/05/16

Posts: 362

RE: How do you see the role of women in general – and Queen Victoria in particular – in the course of the novel?

This aspect of history wasn't new to me: women in the novel as in life were expected to wield any influence only in private, through their relationships with men, and not in their own right. They were supposed to depend on men to take care of things, make the decisions, protect them from the world at large (unless they were lower class). And apparently, even though we have the vote in England and in America, that hasn't changed, not in the U.S. at least. . I've been dealing with this attitude my entire life (since 1950!). It's now acceptable for women to have careers, but not to aspire to wield, for example, presidential power. We still have very few women overall as governors, senators, etc.


Posted Jan. 16, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
janeh

Join Date: 06/15/11

Posts: 222

RE: How do you see the role of women in general – and Queen Victoria in particular – in the course of the novel?

I think she was remarkable for her age and time to be able to step up and assume the demeanor of her office and not be intimidated by those around her. At the same time I was reading this, I was watching THE CROWN on Netflix (about current Queen Eiizabeth), and I was struck by the similarity of experiences these young women experienced, despite the fact that Elizabeth was about 10 years older than Victoria when she assumed the throne, and decades into the future.


Posted Jan. 21, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
susanu

Join Date: 01/21/17

Posts: 14

RE: How do you see the role of women in general – and Queen Victoria in particular – in the course of the novel?

Generally women were used, could be replaced easily, certainly not the choice to wear the crown. Fortunately they did, the wielded their power and proved how powerful they could be. The queens were loved by the people and that love and support gave them more strength.


Posted Jan. 24, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
suelizbeth

Join Date: 01/15/17

Posts: 19

RE: How do you see the role of women in general – and Queen Victoria in particular – in the course of the novel?

All women were seen as property to be disposed of as any man saw fit, including Queen Victoria. It is interesting that she didn't think that women should be allowed to vote. This would appear to be against her own best interests as a woman, but perhaps not as Queen. The big push to have her marry, anyone, really, but Albert in particular, was to calm her down and control her. Women are seen as flighty and not serious. Everyone was always trying to "guide" her. Evidently, being an unmarried woman, even as Queen, was seen as undesirable. Women needed to be controlled at all costs.


Posted Jan. 25, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
karenrn

Join Date: 08/29/13

Posts: 102

RE: How do you see the role of women in general – and Queen Victoria in particular – in the course of the novel?

Women were not taken seriously. One thing hasn't changed women have to be better then men in order to rule at all. The previous Kings were drunk and couldn't remember the names of people but they got away with it. Victoria almost ended up with a regent for being scared of a mouse. Victoria was expected to have a husband or some man to guide her. If she had been male they would not think he needed guidance or a regent. Even today women have to be better then men in order to have high office.


Posted Jan. 26, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dorinned

Join Date: 10/13/14

Posts: 176

RE: How do you see the role of women in general – and Queen Victoria in particular – in the course of the novel?

Women have come a long way since Victoria's time in the 1800's. The odds she overcame to establish her independence from her mother and Conroy and others who wished to control her and make decisions for her were immense. She had to be a strong and very smart woman to pull it off, but pull it off she did. She recognized the worth of Lord M's advice and counsel, and she was lucky to have it! Most of the women of her day would have failed at the endeavors she succeeded in so well.


Posted Jan. 29, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Navy Mom

Join Date: 04/12/12

Posts: 294

RE: How do you see the role of women in general – and Queen Victoria in particular – in the course of the novel?

I am sure there was much more to Victoria becoming queen and being able to hold her own than this novel suggests. I believe as a woman she did not receive the education she may have needed to fill her role as a man would have, but that she was intelligent enough that she learned on her own in order to be successful. The book made her seem so easy to manipulate and as if she was a silly teenage girl following whims. For that reason, I didn't care for the book.


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