The Victorian era is defined by societal changes that developed over time. This is especially true when it comes to wives, mothers, domestic life, etc. In parts of Anne Brontë's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, the relationship between Helen and her aunt, Peggy Maxwell, depicts this ever-present dichotomy in the face of change. In particular, opinions regarding men and marriage demonstrate a clear separation between the two characters. On the one hand, Helen is an honest and originally energetic young woman, eager to find a man who is suitable for both her guardians and the love of her life. On the other hand, Helen's aunt, Peggy, is a traditional, conservative, and strict woman who seeks a man she approves of based on a series of age-old standards. Specifically, the differences between Helen and Peggy regarding the type of man Helen should marry, how said man should be arranged for marriage, and the domestic role of the wife in the Victorian era all present the ideologies of dueling generations in an era that shied away from rapid change. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayThe characteristics of a man for Helen to marry were a rather controversial subject between the young woman and her aunt. Take for example Helen's first meeting with her future husband, Mr. Huntington. After seeing Helen in the forced clutches of the much older Mr. Boarham (with whom she was set up by her aunt), Mr. Huntington essentially saves her by asking for a dance. After a dance, Helen is – much to her chagrin – rushed to an early outing by her aunt, during which Mr. Huntington helps her prepare for her departure (Bronte, 135). In her recollection of this first meeting, Helen explains: “I was sorry to go, for I had found in my new acquaintance a very lively and entertaining companion. There was a certain ease and freedom in everything he said and did, which gave a feeling of rest and expansion to the mind, after so many constraints and formalities that I was condemned to suffer. (Bronte, 135). Of course, the “constraint and formality” she complains about come directly from her aunt. Helen finds Mr. Huntington refreshing – a young, vigorous man who stood out among the old, mundane men her aunt defended. Yet, predictably, Peggy has a rather different view of Mr. Huntington, saying that he is "...a little wild, I imagine...unprincipled and prone to all the vices common to youth" (Bronte, 135-36). This example perfectly explains the changing of the guard, so to speak, that slowly occurred throughout Victorian era society. The old guard considers the ideal man for marriage to be established both in terms of age and merit, as Mr. Boarham is much older than Helen and decently wealthy. Yet Helen, the new guard, is looking for an ideal man in terms of personality and looks, a concept that completely perplexes her aunt. In advocating for the new guard, Helen explains: “…I always judge people's characters by their appearance – not by their beauty or their ugliness, but by the general appearance of their face. For example, I should know from your expression that you are not of a cheerful and sanguine character…” (Bronte, 136). The final line, a small jab at her aunt, displays said plea by highlighting Peggy's displeasure with Helen's interest and brief encounter with Mr. Huntington. Rather than choosing a man in aAn old-school, essentially pre-Victorian mansion, Helen propels societal change toward a young woman's empowerment in determining appropriate traits for a husband. Choosing a man is one thing; how to get married is a separate question for aunt and niece. In Peggy's eyes, “You should not...assume that you would like to marry someone, until you have been asked; a girl's affection should never be won without being sought... I want to warn you, Helen... to urge you to be vigilant and circumspect... and not to let your heart be stolen from you by the first foolish or clueless person principles who covets their possession. » (Bronté, 131). Basically, Peggy warns Helen to be conservative when it comes to marriage. In his eyes, Helen should expect a man to court her properly, ask permission to marry from her guardians, and present himself as a true gentleman in a traditional context. This is reinforced by Peggy in a religious sense when she says, “Remember Peter, Helen! Don't brag, just look. Keep your eyes and ears as the entrances to your heart, and your lips as the exit…Receive, coolly and dispassionately, all attention, until you have considered and duly considered the worth of the aspirant…” (Bronte, 132). Referring to the biblical Peter, her aunt impudently tells Helen not to give in to what would then be modern temptations of promiscuity and, in her eyes, hasty and rather false love. At first, Helen doesn't necessarily go so far as to completely refute this traditional notion, but she does challenge it by asking, "But what are all these poor fools and reprobates to do, aunt?" If everyone followed your advice, the world would soon meet its end” (Bronte, 132). Helen, as part of the generation of young women who are becoming eligible bachelors, questions what she thinks is an outdated principle. Through slow societal change, Helen has become more open and sensitive to the possibility of marrying a man who does not necessarily conform to her aunt's ideals of how to marry. In fact, while admitting the truth in Peggy's notions of respect and measured considerations about how to proceed in matters of marriage, Helen asserts: "Not only should I think it wrong to marry a man deficient in meaning or in principle, but I should never be disappointed. tempted to do so… It goes without saying that I should be able to respect and honor the man I marry as well as love him…” (Bronte, 132-33). In the context of the conversation, Helen recognizes that it is impossible to marry a delinquent, her aunt is obviously right on this point. But what Helen refutes is broader. Rather than finding appeal in the convenience and tradition of approaching marriage, why can't Helen simply find a man she loves and keep the practices of marriage according to her own rules? Helen just wants to find true love and let the rest settle in, asking her guardians for her hand in marriage doesn't necessarily take priority over the potential to love a suitor, and Peggy can't really understand that, because she was not a young woman of that era.Finally, the domestic and interpersonal relationships between man and woman become a heated debate between quarreling women. From Helen's point of view, one of the main domestic duties of the wife is to help her husband with assistance and moral advice. This becomes clear when, amid the argument between Helen and her aunt regarding Mr. Huntington, Helen states, "...I was brought up well and always had good examples before me, which is probably not the case of him; -. 131-33, 135-136, 149-150