The chapters from American Manhood highlight gender differences through marriage and work. It made me very glad to be living today, not in the 19th Century. Women were subject to their husband's demands and needs, though some were lucky to enjoy loving relationships and "flourishing intimacy" with their husbands. I enjoyed reading about the degrees of a marriage in this time. Some were merely a union of persons, and some were partnerships and a system of helpmates. Charles and Persis are the perfect example of the latter. The fact that Charles used his health to seek nurture shows that he may have been dependent on his wife, but didn't want to outwardly reveal it. In addition, men retreated to work to provide for their families and escape "unwelcome thoughts". Men were scared of failure and bankruptcy was seen as failure (not a sometimes too-convenient option like today). Again with the conceptions of gender: men experienced "neurasthenia" from too much work, while women experienced "hysterics". Clearly men and women were on unequal footing.--Amanda | The chapters from American Manhood highlight gender differences through marriage and work. It made me very glad to be living today, not in the 19th Century. Women were subject to their husband's demands and needs, though some were lucky to enjoy loving relationships and "flourishing intimacy" with their husbands. I enjoyed reading about the degrees of a marriage in this time. Some were merely a union of persons, and some were partnerships and a system of helpmates. Charles and Persis are the perfect example of the latter. The fact that Charles used his health to seek nurture shows that he may have been dependent on his wife, but didn't want to outwardly reveal it. In addition, men retreated to work to provide for their families and escape "unwelcome thoughts". Men were scared of failure and bankruptcy was seen as failure (not a sometimes too-convenient option like today). Again with the conceptions of gender: men experienced "neurasthenia" from too much work, while women experienced "hysterics". Clearly men and women were on unequal footing.--Amanda |