“To call them the weaker sex is to utter a hideous mockery. They are the stronger sex, the noisier, the more persevering, the most self-assertive sex. They want freedom of opinion, variety of occupation, do they? Let them have it. Let them be lawyers, doctors, preachers, teachers, soldiers, legislators- anything they like -- but let them be quiet --if they can.” -- Robert Audley
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| Robert Audley as seen in the modern film adaptation. Picture found at bambernews.livejournal.com |
However misogynistic this quote seems to be, the basic idea that “women are the stronger sex,” is an idea that seems to have more in common with modern feminism than it does with the Victorian female identity. It contrasts strongly with Ruskin's concept that women are the weaker, but nobler sex and thus have to be protected and allowed to develop, whereas men need to be sent out into the world and molded. However, it isn’t completely oppsing the Victorian ideal of womanhood when compared to Mrs. Beeton’s description of women in her Book of Household Management. In her book, she tells women that they should be “generals” leading their servants and children in a battle against imperfection (Beeton 3).They should teach by example. In this description of what a ‘good wife ought to be,’ women indeed hold every occupation they want simply being a good wife. In this quote, we see the stress caused by these two contrasting points of view. Robert would prefer it if women took on the gentle, submissive role Ruskin suggests by "being quiet". The woman who inspired this quote, Clara Talboy's, is instead acting perhaps even too loudly for Mrs. Beeton by pushing Robert to finish his investigation and bring back the domestic ideal.
Robert's quote also complies with Mrs. Beeoton’s ideal of a good husband by implying that men are the less self-assertive sex. While Beeton doesn’t suggest that her readers overwhelm their husbands, the husbands take a backseat role to household management: the role of a King, who views and judges but does not participate in the war. Robert's wanting women "to be quiet" indicates this masculine disinterestedness that results in men wanting only to be left alone. The idea that men don’t entirely belong in the house of Victorian Domesticity is also implied by Dickens's Diary of a Nobody. In that book a man plays the opposite part of Robert Audley and tries to take on “the more assertive” role in the house. Usually this ends in hilarious disaster. Therefore we see that, although this quote might look like it would be scandalous to the patriarchal Victorian society, we see it has much in common with the common viewpoints of the time.
