Question

What evidence from the text best supports the theme that the roles of women are defined by society? "You have loved me as a wife ought to love her husband. Only you had not sufficient knowledge to judge of the means you used." "But do you suppose you are any the less dear to me, because you don't understand how to act on your own responsibility?" "I will advise you and direct you. I should not be a man if this womanly helplessness did not just give you a double attractiveness in my eyes." "You must not think anymore about the hard things I said in my first moment of consternation, when I thought everything was going to overwhelm me."

Answer 1

" you have loved me as a wife ought to love her husband" I think the use of the modal ought to best supports the idea that there is a role for women, that they ought to do things as they are dictated by society rules and traditions.Even if not in love a wife ought to love a husband .Briefly, love was more of a duty than a feeling. The role of the wife was to show concern, look after the husband, have white clean clothes waiting for him, a delicious dinner of his taste and children brought up by her.

Answer 2

I think the sentence that best supports this is "I will advise you and direct you. I should not be a man if this womanly helplessness did not just give you a double attractiveness in my eyes."