Choose one of the movies listed at the end of your lecture notes to watch. From what you have learned about the Age of Enlightenment decide if the filmmakers did a good job portraying life in the 18th century. You can discuss costumes, social structure, architecture, art, or anything that catches your attention. Movies “Sense and Sensibility”
During the 18th Century era, women could not own property or have their own wealth because women were involved largely in managing the house. While in charge of the house, women had fewer advantages than men because the property is passed on to the males in the family. Therefore, men with a title marry into wealthy families and cannot marry into a poor families because it was the custom and if you marry into a family that is not wealthy you get cut off from your family’s fortune. In the movie “Sense and Sensibility,” when Mr. Dashwood passed away, the estate was passed on to the son because that was the law. In this case, Mr. Dashwood made a mistake by not leaving a will for Mrs. Dashwood and her stepchildren. Instead, he tells his son on his deathbed that he should take care of the family.
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Women could not own property or hold a job; otherwise, they would not be able to maintain their status within society. Even in this situation where Mrs. Dashwood must rely on the kindness of others to maintain their living, she cannot get a job because her daughters would not be able to marry within the social class. Women cannot own property and they are expected to marry and settle down with a man who can take of them. Women could not have a career or follow a different path other than that already arranged. The law of coverture, the idea of being sheltered state that a wife/husband is one under the law. She is consolidated under her husband essentially the property of the man.
In the movie “Sense and Sensibility,” Mr. Henry Dashwood is the father, Mrs. Dashwood is the mother, John is Mr. Dashwood's son, Elinor and Marianne are Mrs. Dashwood’s daughter and Margaret is Mrs. Dashwood’s youngest daughter. Mr. Dashwood just had passed away and his son had inherited the dad’s estate (Norland Park). Henry’s death bed, he told his son to take care of the stepmother, and stepsister and he made a promise to his dad to take care of them. John was wealthy because of his mother’s fortune and he was married to a wealthy woman called Fanny.
In “Sense and Sensibility,” is a movie about two sisters who fall in love but go through heartbreak at the end of the day. Both sisters find true love. I believe that love comes in many shapes and forms. The two sisters who try to find true love, require a balance of reason and emotion. According to my understanding in the movie Elinor the older sister, represents qualities of “Sense and Sensibility” restraint, social responsibility, and a clear-headed concern for the welfare of others. Marianne, the younger sister, is different. She represents qualities of “sensibility; “emotion, spontaneity, impulsiveness, and rapturous devotion.
In the movie, the cottage makes a very modest-looking home. The home would traditionally be plain colored like white, brick, or gray. The Dashwood women seem to be disappointed that there is no honeysuckle climbing the walls of their new home. The Dashwood is obviously having a difficult time adjusting to their new home because they are used to their grand home back in Norland Park. The Dashwoods move into a new home called Barton Cottage. Cottages were relatively small. Dashwood women did not have servants as they had at Norland Park.
In conclusion, the Age of Enlightenment portrays women as controlled by men. Women were trapped in whatever class they were born in. If you were rich you stayed rich and if you were born poor you stayed poor. In the 18th Century era, I will rather be a man at this point instead of a woman because men had more privileges than women.
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