Don't Come Across as "Easy": Maintaining a Woman's Image in the Quest for Marriage

In 1897, British cartoonist, George du Maurier, published a collection of cartoons titled, "English Society". The collection holds several of du Maurier’s cartoons, each commenting on a part of Victorian society with humor and a bit of satire. In one of his cartoons, he titles it “Daylight Wisdom”. This cartoon is a very detailed illustration of two women, sitting across from one another. The woman on the left seems to have an expression that she is seeking advice and is listening to the other woman. Unlike the woman on the right, she is wearing a hat and petticoat. This can be inferred that the woman has travelled to see the other woman. The woman on the right is slightly leaning in towards the other woman and has a look of concern. From the body language of both women, it is clear that the woman on the right is giving advice and is concerned for the woman on the left. The relationship between the two women is revealed in the caption below the illustration. It reads: "Elder Sister.— 'Oh! he proposed after supper, did he—after dancing with you all night—and you refused him? Quite right! My dear child, never believe in any proposal until the young man calls at eleven in the morning and asks you to be his wife!'".

From the caption, the audience can see that the cartoon depicts an older sister giving her younger sister advice about how to respond correctly to a man who is trying to pursue her for marriage. The older sister is telling her younger sister that she must not accept a proposal that is given in the moment of which they are dancing, or in other words, having a nice time together. The eldest is telling her that only legit proposals happen the morning after. Though the elder sister seems to be protecting her little sister from getting heartbroken, or disappointed, by a man who may not be genuine about his question of marriage, there are underlying tones that suggest there are certain rules the eldest sister wants to make sure her younger sister is following. The dialogue suggests that the eldest is telling her sister not to come across as too readily available for marriage. In a society where marriage and finding a husband that will take care of them is a woman’s primary goal in life, there are still unwritten rules pertaining to how a woman must portray herself. It’s no secret that young, single women are seeking a husband, however, it is important for them not to come across as too needy for any husband. In today’s society, we could say that the eldest sister is worried her little sister might come across as too “easy” if she were to agree to the man’s proposal in the midst of having a fun evening. This cartoon conveys this balance that women in the Victorian era must keep; they must look for a husband that will take care of them, but they must maintain their dignity. This speaks to a bigger concern in Victorian society, in that image and reputation is especially important for women. By calling this advice to her younger sister as "wisdom", du Maurier is expressing that this advice to maintain a woman’s reputation and dignity counts as vital information that the younger sister must keep in mind, as she tries to find a husband.