COVE

Character's writing:

This is a picture of me and the bicycle that I was finally able to buy! I have never been allowed to get one before this because I have been told that it is not good for my health. After riding it for the first time, it is confusing as to why I have been told this all of my life. It is actually easy and very enjoyable to do! I have begun to see a few women on bicycles lately and the men and older women that I see while riding give me some pretty dirty looks as well as some vulgar remarks as I pass by. I do my best to ignore it but sometimes it's as if I can feel their eyes locked on me until they can no longer see me. I am not going to let me stop riding and I hope that I can inspire some other women to break free of the shackles of male oppression and get a bicycle of their own to experience this great sensation! Not only is it fun to do, and is very beneficial to your health, it also makes getting around town that much easier because it does not take up a lot of space and it is much faster. Overall, my bicycle has proven to be a very fun and easy alternative to transportation that everyone should give a try. I hope that the who read this will understand that they are capable of riding a bicycle and there is absolutely nothing holding them back from doing so. The bicycle is all of these things but most importantly it is a symbol that we as women are progressing to a more fair and equal existence, free from the overarching arm of male oppression.  

Editors analysis:

Based on this picture and passage I can conclude that this is a woman in the Victorian Era who was dealing with the heavy male centralized way of life. She was doing her part to help women break away from the male oppression of the time. She did this by riding a bicycle which was very uncommon and frowned upon by the male population because it was a sign of empowerment for the women and it signified that men were losing a grasp on control over women. As stated in an article by Amazing Women in History, "The so-called New Woman and her bicycle, a strong and independent woman who rode bicycles and wore cycling costumes like bloomers, became a symbol of gender equality and redefined femininity going into the 20th century". Doctors of the time, which were all males, advised the women that they should not part take in this activity because it would be detrimental to their health because they were deemed too fragile. This idea kept women off of bicycles because they had become so accustomed to listening to the men, and this is not limited to bicycle riding as men would tell many lies about different aspects of life to keep women's obedience. This is hard to believe because bicycle riding is very good for one's health. Despite the warnings, women such as this one decided to take it upon themselves to actually attempt to learn and ride bicycles. This was not taken lightly by the male community because the women were beginning to disobey their traditions and roles that were expected of the women of the time. Actions such as these are what spurred the differentiation of the New and the Old woman. The women understood how the men felt but it did not matter because they were fighting to have the strict gender roles uplifted. Although it was a small step, it was a necessary one to get the ball rolling on their journey to equality. Maybe she knows now that the ridicule and constant hardships that she faced all paid off in the end because nowadays women can do anything that men can. 

Citation: Stromberg, Joseph. “‘Bicycle Face’: a 19th-Century Health Problem Made up to Scare Women Away from Biking.” Vox, Vox, 8 July 2014, www.vox.com/2014/7/8/5880931/the-19th-century-health-scare-that-told-wom....