HST5389 - Angels, Spinsters and Whores: British Women and Gender from Victoria to the Vote

Did Victorian women lie back and think of empire? They were certainly beset by stereotypes, from the pure to the depraved - from Angel in the House and virgin bride, to tawdry fallen woman, prostitute, chorus girl and shoplifter. Some types were to be pitied (redundant spinsters and degraded wage slaves), others feared (unsexed bluestockings, New Women, Suffragettes). Together we will examine Victorian and Edwardian ideals and realities, looking at sex, love, work, politics, fashion, manhood, imperialism, race, and war.