Limitations on Women in Colonial Society Benjamin and Jane Franklin grew up in the same family, but their paths in life couldn’t have transpired into more different worlds. Benjamin Franklin escaped his family life and embraced a world of philosophy, science, and “the application of reason to nature, freedom of opinion and the rights of man: equality and enlightenment” (77). Jane, even though she wasn’t very far away from her brother in distance, was in a completely different sphere of influence. In the book Book of Ages: The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin by Jill Lepore, the author conveys that since Jane was a female growing up in 18th century colonial America, she was severely limited with her aspirations. If given the same opportunity to learn, Jane and Benjamin may have ended up on similar courses, involving their success, motives, and even religion.
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A lady’s world was limited to the idea of establishing a family while impacting the people involved in her daily life. Women in the colonial time were not expected to be very educated or important citizens of American society. They were expected to be good wives, homemakers and child bearers. For a woman to be anything more was rare and unheard of. Women like Jane Franklin learned to read, but that was the extent of their educational gain according to the customs of colonial society. The general feeling in the colonies was “a taste for books could ruin a girl; when she grew up, she’d make a poor helpmeet” (25). Since “no public school in Boston enrolled girls” (26), Jane’s parents couldn’t have sent her to school even if they wanted to. Even if the schools did enroll females, they would have been taught a different curriculum than that of the males: one that involves sewing, stitching, and
A lady’s world was limited to the idea of establishing a family while impacting the people involved in her daily life. Women in the colonial time were not expected to be very educated or important citizens of American society. They were expected to be good wives, homemakers and child bearers. For a woman to be anything more was rare and unheard of. Women like Jane Franklin learned to read, but that was the extent of their educational gain according to the customs of colonial society. The general feeling in the colonies was “a taste for books could ruin a girl; when she grew up, she’d make a poor helpmeet” (25). Since “no public school in Boston enrolled girls” (26), Jane’s parents couldn’t have sent her to school even if they wanted to. Even if the schools did enroll females, they would have been taught a different curriculum than that of the males: one that involves sewing, stitching, and