Governesses During The Victorian Era

During the Victorian era, governesses were usually hired by middle and upper classes to educate their children- especially female children. Governesses during that era were not particularly liked and faces discrimination from their employers and society because they are considered an abomination as they are from a middle class yet they are working for the upper class. Due to governesses facing prejudices from the society, Caroll uses The Red Queen in Through the Looking Glass to satirise and ridicule the archetypal Victorian governess. The Red Queen first interacts with Alice in The Garden of Life Flowers. Like all governesses, she expects Alice to behave like a proper "lady" that behaves properly in a ladylike manner. Caroll knows that governesses

The education for girls during that time would include of “reading, writing and arithmetic, governesses often taught foreign languages, like French and Italian, and the humanities, like history and geography” (Jones Kayes). Sometimes the governesses even teach the girls skills such as “…drawing, playing piano, dancing and deportment…all designed to attract an eligible suitor” (Hughes Kathryn). The educational is unequal to girls as all they do is help them attract a possible husband. Since all the education is only for the girls to make themselves appeal to the eyes for the man. This clearly shows that the education is irrational and questionable. Lewis Caroll uses the Red Queen as a caricature to satirise the governesses during the Victorian era and he hints that the many of the governesses are inefficient in their duties. Not only that, the author, Lewis Caroll also suggests that the educational system conducted by the governesses are sceptical since it is questionable and useless. All of these factors combine to create a caricature that essentially satirise the Victorian educational system and how the governess are inept at teaching the