Landers 1). As a result, she was able to witness the peak of nineteenth century sexism, as well as the birth of feminism. Emily Bronte’s novel, Wuthering Heights, portrays Great Britain’s transition from the Romantic period to the Victorian period through the various roles and characteristics of women and the marital circumstances.

The Romantic period is known for its disillusionment with the Age of Reason. During the Age of Reason, people heavily relied on science, reason, and logic. The purpose of the Romantic period was to focus on nature, imagination, and emotions instead of science, reason, and logic; it was also a time of self-analysis and independence (Landers 2). However, Great Britain’s people shifted their focus again once Queen Victoria inherited the throne of the United Kingdom.

During the reign of Queen Victoria, emerged a new idea for the perfect woman. Women were deemed as the inferior of men. A true Victorian woman was to be an “Angel of the House.” This “Angel” was expected to be knowledgeable about the arts, as well as possess elegance, grace, and perfect femininity. Women were not supposed to show any sort of sexual interest in men, but instead, show an interest in marriage and raising children. Women were taught that if they attempted to surpass men in any type of “intellectual pursuit,” they would take away from man’s natural superiority, and ultimately end up infertile (Hughes 6,7). During the nineteenth century, males and females were considered to be on “separate spheres.” The term “separate spheres” was commonly used to describe the belief that women were, “physically weaker yet morally superior to men” (Hughes 1). Men were expected to handle labor outside of the home, while women were expected to handle raising the children and providing moral guidance for the family (Hughes 1). As an advocate for women and their role in marriage, Queen Victoria believed that women should be educated and strongly promoted the establishment of a women’s college in 1847; however, she did not support the idea of women’s suffrage. She believed women were happiest when they were devoted solely to their marriage (Greenblatt 1581). Women of the higher classes did not have the same responsibilities as those of the lower classes. Upper and middle class Victorian women often sat around doing nothing because their household duties were taken care of by the lower class women who worked as servants and maids