Take Back The Kitchen

Okay, this came from an idea me and my mom had. This place will be used for my own homemaking journal, as was popular with victorian women. I think it’s a good idea to keep tips, recipes, and other such things from the eras of homemakers. I have nothing but respect for the Domestic so let’s have a bit of a Victorian history lesson here.

Cult of Domesticity And True Womanhood: A short history

So between 1820 and Civil War Era there was an increase in new businesses and professions creating the American Middle Class. This usually was made up of husbands who were the only breadmakers. This was because the world outside the home was considered harsh where a man had to do what he had to do to succeed. It was considered a world of violence and temptation. Women were considered too wear and delicate for that so they stayed home and took charge of all things related to it.

From all of this arose the new ideas of Womanhood and ideas about the home. This was called the “Cult of Domesticity” and was found in womens magazines, books, news papers and even works of fiction. It put a new light on women’s duties and role in the world as well as recording the virtues of real Womanhood.

The ideas of Womanhood were made of four characteristics any proper young woman should have:

1. Piety: The modern woman of the period was the “new Eve” and she worked with God to bring the would out of sin through her suffering and pure, passionless love. Religion was to keep a woman from a restless mind. Women were considered the handmaidens of God.

2. Purity: Without sexual purity a woman wasn’t a woman. She was a “fallen woman” unfit for company or love. It was cause of much distress to women. There were many journals that gave advice on how to protect women from the “fallen” status. Mrs. Eliza Farrar, who wrote The Young Woman’s Friend wrote such advice as “Sit not with another in a place that is too narrow; read not out of the same book; let not your eagerness to see anything induce you to place your head close to another person’s“. Ridiculous, I know but it helped some women, I guess? Though this caused a purity obsession to the point that it guided how women decorated. Table and chair legs were covered as to guide one from thought of legs. “Limbs” was stead instead of arms and legs, “white meat” instead of chicken breast, male and female authors were kept on separate shelves unless they were married. Stories about storks bringing babies became popular. Isn’t repression fun?

3. Submissiveness: This was most important. Men were supposed to be religious and pure, but it wasn’t expected of them. They were do-ers. Women were to be passive bystanders giving in to fate, duty, men, and God. The fashions of the era added onto that; Corsets that restricted lungs to make her weaker and the weight of her skirts to limit physical mobility. A woman knew her place. She was thought weak and timid and in need of protection. She is a dependent. She needed a man to be firm and full of wisdom and nothing like her expect for tenderness of heart. She was to be in a perpetual state of childhood; innocent and doubtful and in need of guidance.

4. Domesticity: Her place was the home. Housework, neddlework and crafts where approved activities which kept women at home, busy with her wifely duties and childcare. She was to keep the house a cheerful and peaceful place; the opposite of what the world was considered. It was to be a safe haven. What I love about this is Godey’s Ladies Book once said “there is more to be learned about pouring out tea and coffee than most young ladies are willing to believe.” And there really is. This is my favourite of all the requirements of women. I think some of the stuff they did that has long been forgotten is really important. There is a lot we can still use today.

Coming from the aftermath of the feminist movement, I think we’re giving up too much. While we should work, we should make our own, we should never forget the things that make us women. We’re smart, caring, forgiving, passionate, and we can’t let go of any of that. We can be feminist but we can also take back the kitchen. Don’t give up the feminine qualities. Especially in this day and age, we can all benefit from those before us who made do with that they had and could stretch a meal for days.