Before the start of the women's rights movements in the late 19th century, patriarchy, or a male-dominated society, was the norm in America. Men used sex and marriage to objectify and repress women in order to maintain a society strictly controlled by men. The foundation of patriarchy was deeply rooted in the marital roles of men and women, one dominant and the other submissive. Sex and marriage have served as mechanisms to shape the image of men and women in society. The patriarchal system has been fueled to continue generation after generation. By rooting patriarchy in the family, patriarchal societies are able to maintain unquestioned male dominance by ingraining in people's minds that men are supposed to be in control. Male dominance is normalized by constantly presenting images of the husband as head of the household and his wife and children as submissive and obedient, which Rowson's Charlotte Temple demonstrates throughout. Consider, for example, marital arrangements in which the father plays a key role. The consequences of marrying without the father's approval could be serious, like those experienced by Mr. Temple. He “fought his father, declared his resolve, and was ordered never to appear in his father’s presence again” (Rowson 15). Surprisingly, Rowson never mentions that the mother has any say in this matter. In those days, women were expected to side with their husbands, and a man whose wife contradicted him in public was considered weak. Women unwittingly fueled the patriarchal system. Society made them act and think the way they did. Women were encouraged by their mothers' example to submit to male leadership. For example, Ms. Beauchamp was initially hesitant to help the poor, sic...... middle of paper ...... patriarchy turned out to be strong. The suppression of women through objectification had the effect of influencing the attitudes of both men and women. The husband was the head of the family, a symbol of power and respect. Women were raised to be wives and women having sex outside of marriage or not marrying was not the norm. By building society in small, organized groups where men are at the head, women never have the chance to hold power since they cannot even lead their family. Works Cited Cartwright, Peter. Autobiography of Peter Cartwright, the Backwoods Preacher. 1857. Printed. Mattison, Hiram. Louisa Picquet, The Octoroon: or Interior Views of Southern Domestic Life. New York: 1861. Print. Nussbaum, Martha. “Objectification”. Philosophy and public affairs. 1995. 249-291. Print. Rowson, Susanna. Charlotte Temple. 1791. Start Publishing LLC, 2013. Kindle.