Women in Victorian Society

In this highly readable and illuminating book, Anne Louise Booth looks at the status of society women during the Victorian period, the expectations and limitations they faced, and the ways in which these norms were challenged and boundaries were pushed. Nineteenth-century women in British society may have seemed governed by a patriarchal model that reserved power and privilege for men, but women gradually and persuasively challenged not only the ideas of ‘separate spheres of society’ but the influence of Queen Victoria herself. Drawing on a wide range of archival sources, case studies and character portraits, Anne Louise Booth explores the character and influence of the Victorian society woman in both town and country. By examining defining moments in history and the roles these women played in shaping and redefining society, the changing world of the Victorian society woman is brought vividly to life. Seeking to understand women as individuals in the context of their world, and developing a complete picture of a changing social landscape, Anne Louise Booth paints a compelling and illuminating portrait of the lives of women in Victorian society.