“Women are the only oppressed group in our society that live in an intimate association with their oppressors.”

This quote from American journalist Evelyn Cunningham accurately conveys the despotic living conditions women were forced to endure during the 19^th century. Oppressed by men and forced to live in societal confinements, women were seen as dense and inferior to men, lacking the knowledge and propriety held by males.   A woman’s behavior was under constant scrutiny by her male counterpart. These views of women are reflected through many literary works of the time period. Two literary works of the 19^th century that cast women in a negative shadow are Leo Tolstoy’s satirical novella ‘The Death of Ivan Illych,’ and Charles Baudelaire’s poem ‘A Carcass.’ These two literary works take different approaches to convey common stereotypical attitudes men subjected women to in 19^th century society.

Leo Tolstoy’s novella ‘The Death of Ivan Illych,’ takes substantial measures to depict a household where a husband and wife lived in discordant harmony. Throughout the text the relationship between Ivan and his wife Praskovya is never perceived as a profoundly intimate one. Ivan never expresses a sense of passion and deep caring towards his wife. The beginnings of their relationship were never described as amorous or cherished, rather Ivan regarded his relationship with Praskovya as ‘light and playful.’ Ivan admits he never fell in live with Praskovya, rather he married her because ‘his social circle approved of the match.’ Ivan was not swayed by emotion or sentiment to marry, rather he was swayed by the considerations that ‘the marriage gave him personal satisfaction, and at the same time was considered the right thing by the most highly placed of his associates.’ A statement reflecting society’s view on women and marriage is unquestionably made through the description of Ivan and Praskvoya’s relationship. Marriage in the 19^th century was viewed as an institution, almost like a formal business arrangement, required by society. Marriage was not based on passion and emotion. On the contrary it was considered a status quo a male in society needed to attain to be looked at with an approving eye by the rest of his peers. Women were chosen based on how well they corresponded to the lifestyle of a man. They were subjugated by the demands of their husbands and made to assume a ‘speak only when spoken to’ role in the household. Husbands were not devoted to the well being of their wives. This is clearly shown through the pregnancy of Praskvoya. The minute Ivan’s wife began to be in greater need of his assistance he became instantly bothered by her demands and the infringements they posed on the comforts of his decorous life. Ivan’s attitude toward his wife and his marriage suggests a greater and more widespread attitude held by society in regards to women. Tolstoy clearly lays out this attitude when he says Ivan only required of marriage “conveniences-dinner at home, housewife and bed…and above all that propriety of external forms required by public opinion.” Tolstoy characterizes the nature of Praskvoya and Ivan’s relationship as commonplace of many marriages during the time period. Divorce was not an option, and women were not able to rebel against an abusive or insolent marriage. Viewed as the property of their husbands, women were often stuck in the imprisonment of an unhappy marriage.

‘A Carcass,’ a poem written by Charles Baudelaire, takes a very different approach in characterizing 19^th century attitudes towards women. The poem begins with the speaker recalling a pleasurable summer morning walk he once took with his lover. Grotesque imagery coupled with an ironic tone changes the mood of the poem as the speaker goes into depth describing a carcass that they found on the pathway. The carcass is the dead body of a woman. The speaker takes great effort to reduce the carcass of the women to the most raunchy and vulgar facets. He equalizes the carcass to a ‘lecherous whore,’ with her legs spread out ‘opened in slick invitational style.’ The speaker degrades the body of the woman and takes on a suggestive and entirely disrespectful attitude towards the carcass. His attitude mirrors the degrading and undignified view held against women in the 19^th century. Men saw women as sexual objects. Women were not respected and were viewed to be extremely weak. The speaker of the poem expresses his view that all women are destined to the same fate as the ‘lecherous whore,’ when he says to his companion, “…and you in your turn, you will be rotten as this: horrible, filthy, and undone.” The tone the speaker takes towards women is extremely sexist and crude. Unfortunately this tenor echoes the popular opinion held by many during the 19^th century society.

In conclusion, both literary works, ‘The Death of Ivan Illych,’ by Leo Tolstoy and ‘A Carcass,’ by Charles Baudelaire characterize the females in their respective texts in an extremely negative and unfavorable light. Women were subject to the demands of their male counterparts. Whether it was their husband or their lover, men always viewed women as the inferior race, in which they constantly oppressed their potential and degraded their entire being.