Vivie’s Commentary:
My school, the University of Cambridge! How excited I was to go everyday back then! It was the only source of comfort I had. Being away with no family members besides me, I spent almost all my time growing up at this University and studying math in my foster homes. I hope to become established in the actuary field soon. I graduated not long ago, yet now, my once beloved place is being destroyed by these men who think they understand. When I saw the news of these riots, I was heartbroken. When I was in university, I was not treated like how the male students were treated, nor was I a full member; however, I was still able to graduate with honors in mathematics. Nowadays, these men have decided to gather on the streets and protest for women to not get full degrees. You would think an education would help them see how female education could help facilitate the economy, but no. Just like Praed, these people of patriarchal ideology think women are incapable of establishing a career for themselves. They think that everything is about them, even our pursuit for education is believed to make us seem more impressive to men. The threatening crimes they have committed disgusts me; throwing eggshells and fireworks at female students when they are simply passing by. The audacity of these men to celebrate their terrible doings is insane to me. I hope that one day, the education they are receiving will teach them how to respect others.
Editorial Commentary:
During the Victorian Era, while women were still expected to fill the roles at home, they were also more accepted in the workforce than before. Middle class women were often offered positions like “clerks, bookkeepers, housekeepers, compositors, shorthand secretaries, dressmakers, waitresses, auditors, governesses, [and] waitresses” (Allen). These positions often came to be due to the education women received at the time. Around the 1840s women often received teachings that involved cooking and household chores. The small amount of education that was available to women were very general. When Queen Victoria was crowned queen in 1852, having a woman in such a high ruling position, opened the eyes of many, and they realized that keeping women uneducated inside homes were detrimental to their economy as they were capable of leading (“Women’s education in Victorian Britain”). Higher education was then opened to women who had money. Based on Vivie’s commentary, it can be assumed that Vivie came from somewhere in the higher end of middle class. Her having the option to attend the University of Cambridge and to have a goal of pursuing a career in the actuary field shows that she came from a wealthy family that could sustain her pursuit of higher education. Subjects like science and math were offered, which would explain why Vivie was able to graduate with honors in mathematics. Vivie also seems to be a part of the feminist culture of that time, as she did not seem to be afraid to comment about how women are just as capable of gaining education as men. She seemed fearless in her statements regarding how the male students were disgusting for being so selfish and patriarchal. The image Vivie pasted in her book came from her school, the University of Cambridge during the mass hate movement from Victorian men towards women gaining education and leaving the home. In 1869, the University of Cambridge established the Girton College, which was the first women college in the institution; however, women at this time were still not given the same educational privileges as men. Vivie mentions in her commentary her treatment as “not a full member” of the university. At the time, women were not awarded degrees like the male students after graduation and “female students were required to ask permission to attend lectures, [they were] not allowed to take exams without special permission, and usually had to be accompanied by chaperones in public” (Roberts). This is probably the most reasonable explanation as to why Vivie graduated with an honor instead of a degree. On May 21st, 1897, when female students argued that they deserved degrees and suggested an official vote, a violent riot occurred, where eggshells and fireworks were thrown by male students in Cambridge at various locations of the school and at female students to protest the voting favoring women gaining degrees. The image Vivie kept in her book was most likely from this riot.
Works Cited
Allen, Moira. “Victorian Women at Work: Jobs Suitable for the Gentlewoman.” VictorianVoices.net. Victorian Women at Work - Jobs Suitable for the Gentlewoman (victorianvoices.net). Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.
“Cambridge University Library unveils the rich histories, struggle and hidden labours of Women at Cambridge.” University of Cambridge, 5 Sep. 2019. Cambridge University Library unveils the rich histories, struggles and hidden labours of Women at Cambridge | University of Cambridge. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.
Roberts, Stuart. “The Rising Tide: Women at Cambridge.” University of Cambridge, Cambridge University Libraries, 14 Oct. 2019. The Rising Tide: Women at Cambridge. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.
“Woman’s Education in Victorian Britain.” Victorian Era, 8 Oct. 2018. Woman's Education in Victorian Britain - what subjects were taught? (victorian-era.org). Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.