Women's Place in Victorian Society

Hey guys,
For my half of the presentation on “Women's Place in Victorian Society”, I am just going to be giving a brief summary of what life was like for women during the Victorian Period. I will be discussing politics relating to the rights of women, fashion, work, and I will provide some statistics and facts about these things. Jory has prepared references from Jane Eyre to share with you guys, to help you see how practices of the Victorian Period can be seen in a work of literature.
I found a short video on YouTube that may help you guys better understand what life was like for women during the Victorian Period. Basically, the main role of the woman was to get married and take care of her family. Women had very little independence during this time, and even less sense of purpose.
Here is the link to that video:
The Victorian Guide to Women
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO5AuYNWQGA
I also found this website which may help you understand what life was like for women during the Victorian Period compared to what life is like for women in today's society. I found it interesting to read about why women during the Victorian Period got married. There is also a short paragraph which outlines the “laws that helped women” during the time period.
Here is the link for the website mentioned above:
http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~ulrich/femhist/marriage.shtml#Why%20Victorian%20women%20Married
Also, if you guys want to read more detailed information on the role of women in the Victorian Period, I would direct you to the BBC article written by Lynn Abrams entitled “Ideals of Womanhood in Victorian Britain.” There are 9 'pages' of information on this website that are all very informative.
The link for that website is:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/victorian_britain/women_home/ideals_womanhood_01.shtml
Lastly, I found an interactive website. It's a game located on the Musée McCord Museum's website. This is a museum located in Montréal with lots of pieces from the Victorian Period. In the game, you can choose to play the role of a man, or woman throughout the game. I recommend playing the role of the woman so that you can get a better understanding of what women were 'required' to do during the Victorian Period. You are given situations and asked to pick the best answer. For example, would you know what dress to wear if you were hosting a dinner party? The game is called “Mind Your Manners” and you can pick what location you want your questions to be based on (home, ballroom, park or train station).
Try it!
http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/keys/games/17
Thanks!
Stephanie