If I Lived in the Middle Ages

The Middle Ages were a time where daily life was based on gender roles, social standing, occupation, and wealth. Your occupation depended on your gender. Your social standing depended on both your occupation and wealth. The Canterbury Tales  described and explored the common occupations of the Middle Ages and provided a description of each person's daily life. If I lived in the Middle Ages I would simply be a housewife because of my gender and lack of deep commitment to religion.

My daily life as a housewife would be calm, yet busy. I would live in a standard house in a big city such as London and spend most of my time in the house. My only jobs would be to cook, sew, clean the house, take care of my children and cater to my husband. If I had free time I could cook or bake extra food to sell in the markets. The only challenges I would face would be the daily challenges that comes with raising children. Children can make every day a challenge or an adventure depending on how they're feeling that day. I would also have to go shopping in order to make sure the house has enough food for every meal. My whole life would be centered around my family. My children and husband would rely on me for food and clothes, but I would still be seen as inferior to all men. My world would be limited. I would know the world is large but also be aware of how small a woman's world is. I would not have any military training because women are viewed as too weak to fight. All of my values and morals would be based on my family. I'd value integrity and hard work and make sure my children valued the same as they grew up. When I view my future, I see my children becoming successful in whatever they do. Once they've grown up I may try to open up a small shop or merchant stand that sells food or clothes for extra money. My life as a wife in the Middle Ages could seem boring, but I'd always be busy and barely have any down time.

Life in the Middle Ages was very structured and non-lenient. Your initial social standing was most likely your last. Women were still viewed as weak and were therefore limited in what they were allowed to do. If I lived in the Middle Ages I would just be a simple housewife.