Nineteenth-century prosperity shifted white women’s image from temptress to pure goddess

Evidence

In the 19th century, the growing economic prosperity of white Americans caused them to stray from the stern religious teachings that had shaped the life of the first colonizers. With the shift away from fundamentalist Christian doctrine came a change in male perceptions of women. 19th century white women were no longer portrayed as sexual temptresses; they were extolled as the “nobler half of humanity” whose duty was to elevate men’s sentiments and inspire their higher impulses. The new image of white womanhood was diametrically opposed to the old image. She was depicted as goddess rather than sinner; she was virtuous, pure, innocent, not sexual and wordly. By raising the white female to a goddess-like status, white men effectively removed the stigma Christianity had placed on them. White male idealization of white women as innocent and virtuous served as an act of exorcism, which had as its purpose transforming her image and ridding her of the curse of sexuality. — bell hooks, Ain’t I a Woman_ Black Women and…, 95

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to Victorian-era idealization of women discussed in ‘The Soundscape’ and to the sexual double standard central to second-wave feminist critiques of domesticity. — connects to: Colonial marriage attitudes shifted from handicapping to requiring white wives; Slavery elevated white women’s social status above black people — bell hooks, Ain’t I a Woman_ Black Women and…, 449; This work is concerned with awakening from the nineteenth century — The City as Dreamworld and Catastrophe (+2 more)

Related

• This work is concerned with awakening from the nineteenth century (similarity 0.82)
• Slavery elevated white women’s social status above black people (similarity 0.82)
• Colonial marriage attitudes shifted from handicapping to requiring white wives (similarity 0.79)
• The cult of true womanhood demoralized enslaved women and enabled manipulation (similarity 0.79)
• Enslaved women were no more sexually liberated than white women. (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Slavery elevated white women’s social status above black people #complicates (0.50) — bell hooks, Ain’t I a Woman_ Black Women and…, 449