Oporto 1

English II Honors
25 May 2012
Not a Typical Wallflower of the 1800s
Sitting in the parlor finishing some needlework, sipping an afternoon cup of tea, or simply just sitting and looking beautiful. These kinds of situations compiled the day to day lives of women of the upper class in the 1800s. Most women lived their lives to simply please their husbands, fathers, and children. Their role in society was as an accessory to adorn and complement their husbands. Their political role was completely and utterly nonexistent. But as in every situation there were some exceptions to this rule. Such exceptions are portrayed by Alexandre Dumas. In his book, The Count of Monte Cristo, he exhibits a young woman, Eugenie Danglars, who is very ahead of her time and does not heed typical characteristics of women of her era. Eugenie displays her strong, independent character since the beginning of the novel. She doesn’t want to be tied down to a husband, she rather be single and ...

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