Reference no: EM133523604

Assignment

DuBois, Ellen, C. and Lynn Dumenil. Through Women's Eyes. Available from: MBS Direct, (5th Edition). Macmillan Higher Education, 2018.

Chapters 4 and 5 of Through Women's Eyes and the content guides for this module call attention to the lives of a multitude of different kinds of women in the 19th century. The very title of chapter 4 -- Pedestal, Loom, and Auction Block -- highlights how women were not only the "ladies" of white, elite society but also millworkers, servants, and chattel slaves. Nevertheless, an image of an "ideal woman" began to emerge in the 19th century through such media as Godey's Lady's Book, a fashion magazine that was widely read through the 19th century.

On images of ideal women:

Read chapter 4, (paying particular attention to pages 157-166, and to the Primary Sources section on Godey's Lady's Book, pages 204-210) and study the materials available at

• Godey's Lady's Book

Part I

Write a post of about 1 page:

1. Describes the "ideal/true" women most prominently shown and/or written about in Godey's Lady's Book.

2. Explores how the women are dressed and what behaviors they are engaged in.

Part II

On images that contradict the idea of the "ideal/true" women:

A. Review the chapter 4 especially pages 166-176, 184-190 and Primary Sources sections on Prostitution in New York City pages 191-195, Mothering Under Slavery, pages 196-203, and Early Photographs of Factory Operatives and Slave Women, pages 211-218)

B. Write a post of about 1 page that:

1. Compares and contrasts the portrayals of working women and chattel slave women with those of the Godey's ideal/true woman.

2. Describes what these women's relationships with the Godey's ideal/true women might have been like.

3. Reflects on how Godey's Lady's Book might have informed these women's self-perceptions.

Part III

Select a women's magazine of our time, that has both American and international editions. Some examples include Glamour, Vogue and Essence.

A. Study the magazines and write a post that compares and contrasts the content of the present day portrayal of ideal/true women with that of Godey's.

B. Write about1 page that addresses the following questions:

1. In what ways, are the portrayals of ideal/true women similar?
2. In what ways, if any, are the 21st century magazines more diverse in their portrayals of ideal/true women?
3. In what ways, did these portrayals differ between the American and international editions?