History 2185 Lecture Notes - Apatite, Separate Spheres
31 Jan 2013
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Women were deemed as inferior and yet more virtuous but no one cared about the contradiction. Historians have debated the nature of these relationships and to what extent they were sexual and many were strictly platonic, some were romantic but not sexual, while others were definitely sexual. You could not have a career with and advanced education and be married to a man so staying with a woman allowed them to keep their freedom and still be in fulfilling relationships with companionship and intimacy. Next to regular marriage boston marriages were seen as perfectly acceptable because at least the woman wasn"t living alone and susceptible to poverty and becoming a burden. Their relationships were seen as preferable because it was better than them spending time with any man because of the fear of adultery and divorce which were viewed with great distain.
