Hi everyone. Hope your holidays were filled with the four F’s… family, friends, food, and fun.
My computer decided in the middle of the night that it wasn’t happy with me and purged all the work I had done yesterday. Hate when updates make everything worse.
I have been watching a lot of period shows and it led to some of the things that have played with my mind. To be honest, I have had too much rumbling in my brain. So, here are a few issues doing the back stroke in my mind which have been on my mind is some of the ridiculous standards that were believed during the early 1800’s.
The first is the belief that if a woman is the victim of a sexual assault or rape, they are ruined. This is still a belief more than 200 years later, though with a slight change in how people. During Jane Austen’s time, the entire family would be ruined as well. The belief that the female tempted the man, whether flirting or wearing clothing which entice the man beyond control, and her family are considered to have allow the female to behave inappropriately.
Females have always been the scapegoat. Even today, we are seeing the laws being changed to return our rights be from 100 years ago. This past year, I listened to women claiming a woman was too delicate or too emotional to do a job such as president of our nation. What the BLEEP is going on when woman are saying females cannot become the president. Like the song goes. Sisters are doing it for themselves. Standing on their own two feet and ringing on their own bells.
One of the worst things I can imagine is the female being forced to marry someone who has violated her. Having survived being assaulted, I cannot begin to imagine the cruelty that would be in store for her. The thought of her having to do as her attacker demands, if he was her legal husband, he had all control over her life. That would be my worst nightmare.
What determines when it comes to being compromised? Why is something such as a male looking at a female’s ankle or foot a compromising event? Some things are ridiculous, such as being in the presence of a single man without a chaperon. Or if the female is injured, and the male renders aid, she is compromised. I do have to admit that my ultimate swoon is when Matthew comes strolling across the field, his appearance would have him compromising everyone who saw him. The coat flapping around him, his clothing opened down the front. I would have expected a shotgun marriage to make sure his favorite daughter was secured immediately. But oh my, I absolutely found it to be a situation I could fall in love.
It has also led to things, like say Darcy takes Elizabeth in his carriage bringing along a maid to chaperone them. But for a bit, Darcy had been in the carriage with the maid in the carriage until they reached where they were picking Elizabeth up. Was the maid not compromised from being inside the carriage of a man of society?
Another thing that leads me to shake my head about is a man’s neck? What is the reason ladies should not see the throat of a man without his wearing a neck cloth? I seen authors writing of females nearly swooning over seeing a man without his cravat or neckerchief. Sorry guys, seeing your neck doesn’t do anything to me. Besides, not all men work a neck cloth. What is the difference between young ladies to see the neck of a laborer compared to seeing that of a wealthy man’s neck? If the young ladies visit a museum, many of the statues show more than just a man’s neck. It is ok to see the neck of a sculpture, but not the real ones that were used as the template of the sculptures.
Another funny thing I have always been puzzled about is not allowing unmarried females to be present when someone is giving birth. This is especially funny for those who lived in the country, who are around farm animals and breeding. The ladies aren’t as ignorant as people would like to believe. When it comes to giving birth, most women know at least something to do with their monthly courses. If women are nurses and tend to children after birth, why do people believe they are too delicate to know anything about women giving birth? I can understand if the female is in her teens and still too young to understand, but late teens and into their 20’s and are like our dear Lizzy, who is constantly reading, including those books on the upper shelves, which were there to hide them from sensitive eyes, have a basic understanding. Always listen to Mrs Gardiner rather than Mrs Bennet when it comes to “the talk”. Also, if you are in 1800 (or even in the 1940’s) be careful not to say a female is pregnant. Heaven help us, you cannot come out and say such a thing. No, you need to use any number of ways to say you are with child, in the family way, (or my fav was my grandmother saying people would say the female “stubbed her toe”.
So, yes, these are some of the things that flit around in my brain. Have a fun time, and sending positive energy to all who are in harm’s way due to the all the insanity. Fires, tornados, earthquakes, and more. Stay safe everyone. In case you aren’t aware, we started a group on facebook for emergencies in our genre. We began it after the fundraiser for Ukraine. The group is JAFF Authors Without Borders. Even if you aren’t an author, you can be a part of the group. It is primarily letting everyone know if there is a death in our community, or if there is a situation that we pull together, like with Ukraine.
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