Question

during the industrial era, \good women\ were expected to exhibit all the following qualities except:
they were to act as if they thoroughly enjoyed sex with their husbands to boost their husbands egos
they were to spend the majority of their time at home
they were to refrain from consuming alcohol
they were to sacrifice themselves and their interests for the benefit of their children
they were to work as homemakers, rather than as paid employees

Explanation:

Analyze the Cult of Domesticity and Industrial Era gender roles

During the Industrial Era (specifically the Victorian period), middle-class gender roles were defined by the "Cult of Domesticity" or "Cult of True Womanhood." "Good women" were expected to be pious, pure, submissive, and domestic. This included staying at home, working as homemakers rather than paid employees, refraining from vices like alcohol, and sacrificing their own interests for their children.

Evaluate Victorian views on female sexuality

Victorian ideology held that respectable women were naturally asexual or possessed very little sexual desire. Sex was viewed primarily as a marital duty for procreation rather than female pleasure. Therefore, "good women" were absolutely not expected to act as if they thoroughly enjoyed sex to boost their husbands' egos; in fact, expressing active sexual pleasure was often viewed with suspicion or pathologized.

Answer:

• (A) They were to act as if they thoroughly enjoyed sex with their husbands to boost their husbands' egos (Correct answer)
• (B) They were to spend the majority of their time at home
• (C) They were to refrain from consuming alcohol
• (D) They were to sacrifice themselves and their interests for the benefit of their children
• (E) They were to work as homemakers, rather than as paid employees