The Victorians were very concerned with the roles assigned to gender in society, particularly those roles that were customary for women. From this concern and fascination was born the "woman question", a debate that touched on issues of sexual inequality in politics, economic life, education and social interactions. Both men and women were torn on the topic; some thought that their roles were assigned by God and that by bringing women to the same level as men they would be going against God, while others saw the subordination of women as the worst form of slavery that had ever existed. Around the same time, the feminist movement began to gain momentum and be recognized by the public. "The awakening of the democratic spirit, the rebellion against authority, the proclamation of human rights, were almost necessarily accompanied by the growth of a new ideal regarding the position of women, by the recognition, more or less defined and conscious, of the rights of women" (Stanton 2). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The fact is that men cannot continue to improve their lot in the world by ignoring many women. However it took a long time to convince the masses; the first petitions to Parliament to grant women the right to vote date back to 1840, but it was not until 1918 that the right was finally granted. Many of the women who fought for their rights in the early period of the movement were said to have “disgraced themselves and their sex” (Stanton 11). Although a large percentage of men were anti-feminist, there were some, and one in particular, who fought vigorously for women's equality. John Stuart Mill, in his book "The Subjection of Women", as well as in his efforts in Parliament, was instrumental in the fight for equal rights for women and took an important step towards solving the "women's question". It is therefore in the 19th century that we see significant developments in the widespread questioning of women's place in English society. While many women increasingly demanded political and legal rights and greater economic and social opportunities, the period also saw women's increasing identification with the domestic sphere. Coventry Patmore's poem “The Angel in the House” (1854), for example, helped to consolidate this ideal of the domestic angel, the idea of ​​the perfect woman as submissive to her husband, meek, helpless and deeply spiritual. In this essay, we will address whether the "woman question" constrains or liberates the characters in "Lady Audley" and "Woman in White" and how the characters interact with society's perception of them and the effects of their rebellion social or submission..