We laugh at old ladies like that in our century, but her draconian social measures did serve a practical purpose. Women then did not enjoy the same property rights, sexual rights (such as birth control) or voting that men did, and sometimes leveraged in the most misogynistic ways. By keeping a young woman's reputation so clean she at least stood a better chance to enjoy some employment opportunities. Other than that it was strictly marriage or whatever men told them what their place was. I understand she comes off as a puritan, but I think she means well. Of course I could say that the old lady contributed to women's imprisonment by enforcing such social standards.
We laugh at old ladies like that in our century, but her draconian social measures did serve a practical purpose. Women then did not enjoy the same property rights, sexual rights (such as birth control) or voting that men did, and sometimes leveraged in the most misogynistic ways. By keeping a young woman's reputation so clean she at least stood a better chance to enjoy some employment opportunities. Other than that it was strictly marriage or whatever men told them what their place was.
I understand she comes off as a puritan, but I think she means well.
Of course I could say that the old lady contributed to women's imprisonment by enforcing such social standards.
She doesn’t mean well, mrs poultney is a horrible old bat who bullies her servants & takes umbridge with people who don’t conform to her views