womens relations in the 19th century outline form

Theme: Relations between women in the 18th
and 19th centuries.Thesis: Relationships between women in the
nineteenth century America created a web of love and support for
women. Mothers and daughters, sisters and friends from childhood
formed emotional and sometimes physical bonds that lasted lifetimes.
These ties were acknowledged and easily accepted in their societies.
Many women survived unthinkable hardships such as geographical
isolation, child birth, and loss of children because of the unconditional
love found in their relations with other women.I. Introduction A.
Female friendship of 19th century not really studied before B.
Abundance of evidence suggests very strong emotional ties between
women. C. All types of relationships are suggested from
sisterly love to passion D. In this world men are hardly notedII.
Defining and analyzing these relations A. Question of method and
interpretation B. How to view same sex relations
1.Psychopathology 2.dichotomy between normal and abnormal
C. Viewing within a cultural and social setting D. Based on the
diaries of women from 35 families from 1760s to 1880s
1.Represents brood range of women 2.Middle classIII.
Sensual and platonic A. Sarah Butler Wister and Jeannie
Field Musgrove 1. Met while families vacationed; spent 2
years together at boarding school 2. throughout life
wrote to eachother talking of their deep affection and their
anguish when apart 3. Marriage brought physical separation but
nor emotional. 4. Made references that may imply a
relationship that is not necessarily platonic 5. Friendship
lasted their entire lives B. Molly and Helena 1. Met at
boarding school 2. Formed friendship similar to that of Sarah
and Jeannie 3. many references to a physical
relation 4. marriage brought depression and changes

because of now having male lovers. 5. Molly tells
Helena she loves her as "wives do love their husbands"
C. Significance of these letters 1. Do not define as hetero
or homosexual but as examples of the intensity of the
emotional bond 2. Force us to place female love in a particular
historical contextIV. Emotional function of such female love
A. American society characterized by strict gender-role
separation. 1. women formed supportive networks that came
with rituals for every important event in a woman's life
from birth to death 2. these emotions supported by strict
restrictions in relations between young men and women. Two
totally separate spheres existed, women's and men's B.
The woman's world was a cycle of home, church, and visiting other
women. This world was inhabited solely by women and children.
Help with domestic during illness and other problems. Vacations often
designed for old friends to meet again.V. Women and their female
kin A. Women's female kin were the core of this world of female ties.
1.Relatives provided the nucleus around which
groups of friends and networks revolved. 2.Much of a
woman's life could be focuses around her family and extended
family (in-laws) B. The mother-daughter relationship is at the center
of this world. The daughters relied on their mothers for
support and learned their female duties from them, sort of an
apprenticeship. C. through relations with female kin, the web grew
through the non-relative friends of kin as a girl grew she made her
own friends and they were incorporated into this familial world. VI.
Rituals in the life of a woman A. Marriage was one of the great
rituals. Support surrounded the bride for months before hand. B.
Childbirth was a solely female ritual, friends and relatives were
present through the entire process.VII. Conclusion The relationships

between women during this era was core to their lives and survival.
Without the love, support, and rituals surrounding their daily lives
together, many of the women would not have survived the hardships that
often presented themselves in life. Point of Analysis: I feel that the
author was a bit long winded in her explanations of some things. There
are many things that she repeats. I also feel that she could have
presented more about the lives of men. After reading this, I wonder what
the men did all day and if they had relationships like this with their friends
and male kin. It is a great essay and does show vividly the lives of
women during this timePoint of Synthesis: This article really helped me
to understand the women during this time much more. To see their lives
on a much more personal level, and how they socialized really creates a
deeper and more personal understanding of women here. Connecting
this with their political lives, regional, and religious helps to make the
circle complete and create a true understanding of women during this era.