Ideal womanhood

Ideal womanhood is a subjective evaluation of idealised feminine traits in women.

The concept of the "ideal woman"

The term is applied in the context of various times and cultures, for example:

• Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad and wife of Imam Ali, described as the pinnacle of female virtues and the ideal role model for women.^[1]
• Sita as the ideal Hindu or Indian woman^[2][3]
• Penelope, wife of Odysseus in the Odyssey, described as the ideal woman of ancient Greek society, "the embodiment of chastity, generosity, cunning, and intelligence"^[4]
• Queen Victoria as the ideal Victorian era woman^[5]
• Proverbs 31 woman: "wife of noble character", as described in the Old Testament book of Proverbs, skilled in both household management and trade^[6][7]
• Mary, mother of Jesus as an ideal of both virgin and mother - a concept with some pervasiveness in Latin America (see Marianismo).^[8]
• the "ideal woman" stereotype of the 1950s, described by Betty Friedan in The Feminine Mystique as defined by "sexual passivity, male domination, and nurturing maternal love"^{[citation needed]}
• Yamato nadeshiko in pre-modern Japan.

Examples

A great deal of writing has been done on the subject. The subject of the Ideal Woman has been treated humorously,^[9][10] theologically,^[11] and musically.^[12]

Examples of "ideal women" are portrayed in literature, for example:

• Sophie, a character in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Emile: or, On Education (book V) who is raised to be the perfect wife.^[13]
• Lucretia as depicted by Benjamin Britten in The Rape of Lucretia.^[14]
• Sylvia, in William Shakespeare's poem Who is Sylvia?^[15]

Many books have been written on the subject of the Ideal Woman.^[16][17][18]

See also

• The Angel in the House – 1854 narrative poem by Coventry Patmore
• Culture of Domesticity – 19th-century value system for American women
• Good Wife, Wise Mother – Traditional ideal for womanhood in East Asia
• Manic Pixie Dream Girl – Female stock character who acts as a love interest
• María Clara – Fictional character
• Mary Sue – Overly competent fictional character
• Role engulfment
• Yamato nadeshiko – Term for an ideal Japanese woman