Domestic Violence in Victorian England :: Victorian Era

home(prenominal) Violence in strait-laced EnglandWife beating was a prominent occurrence in prim clock. It is soci tout ensembley acceptable and may be seen as a lineament of the lower classes, but married woman beating is prevalent in all classes. In William Montagus social investigation Round London see East and Up West, he tells of women in the hospital Some time as creationy as twelve or fourteen women may be seen seated in the receiving-room, waiting for their bruised and bleeding faces and bodies to be attended to In nine cases out of ten the injuries have been inflicted by brutal and by chance drunken husbands (Montagu). Many incidents of domestic violence in Victorian times are influenced by alcohol. But wife beating is present in all classes, not just the lower classes as Montagu portrays. Caroline Norton, a Victorian author in mid nineteenth century England, unremarkably writes of her husbands continuous wife-beating. Her husband being a member of parliament is o stensibly not lower class. Yet she writes of his physical violence towards her and how the servants restrain him from inflicting drab damage (Norton 1). Sir Pitt also beats his wife also even though he is considered upper class.The article Spousal Abuse discusses that Victorian intelligence of trust, domestic principles, and laws allows men to justify wife-beating. Domestic violence during Victorian times is mainly attributed to the thinker that the man is the ruler in all worlds. The mans responsibility of being a protector is the main idea in contributing to domestic violence.In the area of religion the wildness of religious based subordination suggested that, for a woman to be righteous and serve God, she must follow the lead of her husband this gave men the intuitive feeling that they had a God given right to control their wives, even if this misbegotten through the use of physical correction (Nolte 1). Due to the fact that religion is claimed to be an important Victori an ideal, men believe that for women to lead a virtuous life, she must follow the wishes of her husband. Even if these wishes allow her to be beat.Domestic principles of Victorian England also promoted the dominance of men. The husband was the supreme being in the house and it was a husbands duty to protect his wife this authority also allowed for him to use violence, if necessary, in order to keep her in line (Nolte 3). Caroline Norton gave evidence of this when she disagreed with her husband upon the actions of another lady.