The So-Called Golden Age Of Women Essay, Research Paper
The occurrence of events during a specific period of time always introduces
different mentalities and ideas to everybody in the world. Such is the case with
the so-called “Golden Age” for women, which took place int he colonial period.
Many scholars say that the women who immigrated to the United States from Britain
during the colonizing years enjoyed many privileges that thei other sisters from
across the ocean did not have. This in turn brought the notion to label this
specific period in time the “Golden Age” for women. On the other hand it is
justified to ask just what specific “privileges” these women were given. In the
“Myth of the Golden Age” by Mary Beth Norton, the reader can clearly see that
indeed there was no “Golden Age” through the author’s rich word usage and syntax.
The conception of the “Golden Age” was disected by the author so clearly that the
rader can see why many people falsely label this time period. Wome now, then, and
later will always be stereotyped as the lady of the house. The lady who washes, cleans
the house, cooks, and trends to the entire family. While analyzing this, one must
stop to think that back then women did not have all the modern day luxuries that
we now have. Back then to cook a meal was a task that might take up all morning,
and the lady of the house was the one for this task. She also was in charge of
making the clothes that a family wore. All these labors were not only tiring, but
“tedious and time consuming”. Furthermore women were often left out of the “oral
culture”, because the places where men would pass the information were “male
bastions”. So therefore if women were going to find out about any news they relied
on their husbands to elr them know. church attendance was much higher, because
women always jumped at the chance to get away from their bleak lifestyle to have
more contact with friends and relatives, since it was very rare that women
actually got the chance to leave their home. Now if the issue here was really a
“Golden Age” because women outnumbered men 6 to 1, then it realy should not be
considered a prosperous period fro women because of their “scarcity”. It is safe
to assume that if one is living a time where happiness is abundant, then why would
there be such a heavy load on that person. In conclusion, it might have not been
the best of times for women but it also was not the worst. Women had alot of
responsibilities with out the help of many advances that we have today, so the
majority fo their time was spend tending to their family. It might not be the most
undesirable job for a women, but is sure was not a time where everything was
handed to women on a silver platter just because she was a woman.