Women having power over men?
In English this year I am reading Great Expectations the cultural assumption for the 1830's is that men have more power over the women but in Great Expectations the Author Charles Dickens tests it as the women have more power over the men.
The protagonist in Great expectations is Pip. Pip is a very passionate, romantic and ambitious young man, who is an orphan child and lives with his abusive sister, Mrs Joe, and her husband, Joe Gargery, the village blacksmith. Mrs Joe tests the cultural assumption as she is very controlling and is in charge of pip as she is seen as the more powerful person.
In the 1830's women were there to look pretty, get married to the richest man you can find, have children and then be a stay at home mum/housewife and look after the house while the husband is out working and socialising.
In my opinion I believe that Charles Dickens is testing the cultural assumption as it is not following the way that people lived in the 1830's in England because Pip is always the one staying at home and being bossed around by Mrs Joe while she is getting out with her husband Joe Gargery.