Time spent: doing little or nothing but that that could be done in the house. They might sew or go for walks in the gardens, maybe read books or spend time outside, go shopping, etc. Really depends. How much money do they have? Keep in mind also that women weren't yet seen as equals with men. So a woman's place was naturally below her husband when it came to important decisions. Again, it depends. Where are they? What's the culture? Are they in a spot where it doesn't matter so much to the husbands or anyone else if their wives play a part in the decision making process? Or are they in a family/city/region where it was best to leave such things to the men? Women could have jobs if they needed or wanted one, but things such as voting rights were yet to be dolled out.
In all, women were generally still placed below men. They had gained some ground from the centuries before, as well as respect, but they still weren't seen as equals. Another thing, you had sexist jerks back then like you do today, on both sides. Women haters and men haters, people who think men are all but incapable of thinking or doing something right and people who think the same of women. Everything depends.
Dreamer is basically right. Young English women back in the Victorian age didn't have much to do. During rainy days in England (which happened often and still does), their time was spent reading a book, talking with the other household members of the house, writing letters and the like. On particularly good days, they would make calls (which means they went around talking to neighbors; it was a very tedious task and many girls secretly hated making calls, though it was considered proper. Making calls became less important as the 1800s progressed, but even in the late 1800s and the turn of the century, it was still done. It was just less of a duty). Also, when the weather was good, they could go for long walks (usually with one or more other people), play games such as croquet. During the evenings, they dined with everyone in the household and often with visitors. After dinner was done, they often went into the drawing room and chatted (usually about boring things like the weather, or current events). Everything was proper.
On some evenings, people would go to parties, in which there was a lot of dancing. This is where most of the courting, or flirting, between young men and women occurred, so young girls were often excited when these festivities came along.
Hope I helped! The 1800s is my specialty, though the earlier 1800s I know more about than the Victorian age. If you want to know more, you could read "A Great and Terrible Beauty" by Libba Bray. Her story takes place in the lat 1800s and you can gather a lot about the time period from there.
-Holly
eviscerate your fragile frame spill it out in ragged form a thousand different versions of yourself.
A girl was considered pretty for several things; pale, unblemished skin, fashionable curls, and womanly figure. She didn't have to have blonde hair and blue eyes to be considered pretty. A lot of pretty girls had dark brown hair or black hair that contrasted beautifully with their white skin, and dark brown eyes, whatever. You can make your characters look however. But it definitely mattered what girls looked like.
eviscerate your fragile frame spill it out in ragged form a thousand different versions of yourself.
Rite 2 meh lyk dis...and I shoot you.~Unknown
I'm the future of America. Be afraid. Be very afraid~Unknown
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