El ángel del hogar y sus demonios. Ciencia, religión y género en la España del siglo XIX

Abstract

This article analyzes the concept of "the angel of the house" in Spain durign the Nineteenth Century, in contrast with other countries during the same period. The Spanish "angel of the house" is a complex concepto, which does not fit into the ideal of bourgeois domesticity. Rather, this figure's ideological roots lie in traditional thought. By reviewing the principal currents of religious, secular and scientific throught, Aresti analyzes the way in which certain social groups confront the need to modernize their ideal of femininity. In conclusion, Aresti identifies the failure of the Spanish liberal middle class to form a positive feminine ideal for the new society before the beginning of the Twentieth Century.