Introduction
Few eras in history have garnered as much attention as the Victorian Era; the Victorian ideologies, writing, dress, and innovations still interest modern people and historians alike. One defining feature of the period was that a woman sat on the British throne— a rare occurrence in British history. Since the period of her rule is named the Victorian Era, it should come as no surprise that this ruler was Queen Victoria, who ruled Britain from 1837 until 1901. Under her long reign, Britain saw numerous changes in industry, scientific knowledge, and political structure. However, even though Britain was under the reign of a woman, Victorian women still faced a number of challenges because of their gender, due to the patriarchal structure that they lived under. As Marsh (2015) states, “Important legal, educational, professional and personal changes took place, but by 1901 full, unarguable gender equality remained almost as utopian as in 1800” (para. 2). Women were seen as the protectors of virtue, and were often seen as mothers and wives, instead of as individuals; this led to disgruntled women who used various means to upset this power dynamic. It is important though to understand the expectations of women during this period in order to understand why they would want to break the mold.