Week #9 Discussion- Adib Sharif

During this week’s readings, the one that stood out to me was, “The Cult of True Womanhood: 1820-1860”, by Barbara Welter. Throughout reading this, numerous things about the text surprised, intrigued, and last but not least even puzzled me at times. For instance, according to the text, it states, “Woman understood her position if she was the right kind of woman, a
true woman. “She feels weak and timid. She needs a protector. She asks for wisdom, constancy, firmness, perseverance, and she is willing to repay it all by the surrender of the full treasure of her affection”. When I first encountered this quote, I was a bit shocked/surprised at what George Burnap expressed in his lectures. This is something that would be said by the typical American man in the years of the 1820s and up. However, this is contradicting of what women are and should stand up for, especially when it comes to “womanhood”. In defense to this, Mrs. Sigourney assured women that even though they were sperate sexes, everyone was equal. According to the text, it states, “Religion or piety was the core of woman’s virtue, the source of her strength. Young men looking for a mate were cautioned to search first for piety, for if that were there, all else would follow states”. This quote expressed how woman are pure and can help a man have faith back in Christ. This is representing women in a positive connotation, even if it is to help a man become settles emotionally and adhere to the different factors at play. Last but not least, the thing that intrigued me the most in regard to this excerpt would be how these ideologies were adopted and expected to be mass followed in the 18th and 19th centuries. This fascinates me because of the immense progression woman have taken, for the good to spread their own voices and opinions on different matters. This is something that will hopefully continue to happen.