** Domestic Goddess **

"The 'Angel of the house' became a common label for the Victorian ideal of respectable middle-class femininity.  Quiet beauty, purity, devotion and selflessness were some of the essential features of the domestic wife and mother, who was described and exalted in advice literature and popular domestic novels aimed at female readers" (Arnold LXVII).

A woman was in charge of the running of the household, under the direction of her husband.  As a child, she was being raised to lead a home.  Her role was to be the "Angel in the House" which included loving, honoring, and obeying her husband.  She was not considered unimportant, however. Her duties were vital to the success of the home and children.  The wife was responsible for the organization and hiring of servants, maintaining financial records, and supervising the household staff.  These crucial cornerstones could not be overlooked in order for society to properly advance and function.