Heroines and Conformity of Nineteenth-Century Literature By definition, a heroine is a woman who typically embodies the qualities of nobility, courage, independence, and strength. Nineteenth-century English women would have struggled to perform any of these particular acts of heroism in their social environment as, ultimately, their role within civilization saw them become good wives and mothers and, before that, caring and caring daughters. thoughtful. Within this ubiquitous discourse of separate spheres, Kathryn Gleadle suggests that women were "encouraged to see themselves as 'relative creatures,' whose path in life was to nurture the family and provide tireless support to the breadwinner." the nineteenth-century British woman who conformed to this "path" would prove to be the heroine of that time as a free-spirited independent individual would be cast aside as socially unacceptable. In essence, although it would appear that many women wished to lead active, working lives and therefore make an important contribution, both to their families and to social well-being, "the woman's position [was] to preside over a loving home while men they bravely faced the vicissitudes and demands of public life and business' The novelists Thomas Hardy and Emily Brontë present us with two strong, independent women, Tess Durbeyfield and Catherine Earnshaw. These women are far from the idealistic vision of nineteenth-century women century; Tess, intelligent and surprisingly attractive, strives to uphold the values ​​expected of her, but external forces beyond her control determine her destiny. Catherine instead begins her life with a free, rebellious spirit wild nature. However, her inner desire craves social ambition which, in turn, slowly shows her as a representative of culture and civilization. Tess, the protagonist and heroine of Hardy's novel, becomes a victim of rape and, in turn, her life grows to become degraded, humiliating and depressing. ; of which none of these things she deserves. Although she initially strives to be heroic and provide for her family, (after being responsible for Prince's death), the position she takes at the d'Urbervilles ultimately leads to her death as she is raped and then chased by her seducer Alec. d'Urberville until she is forced to kill him. This courageous yet dangerous decision to kill Alec embodies her character as a heroine as she is brave enough to commit such a harmful act to kill her suffering at the root rather than being passive and perhaps choosing to take her own life instead..