Women are not supposed to enjoy sex too much, have too many sexual partners or too much sexual experience, or be sexually skilled. It is via these standards and expectations of behavior that the Victorian Ideal is reinforced and maintained in American culture. We often do not realize that we have mechanisms on our behavior that castigate women's sexuality, but we do. The Victorian Ideal encompasses many rules for outward conduct. Chief among these are dress and appearance.
Proper ladies wear the best they can afford, act like princesses, and command respect.
These women are outgoing without exposing too much of their private lives. They maintain the highest standard of cleanliness, beauty, and elegance possible. Everything they do is with maximum effort and sincerity. They fulfill the rules and standards in school, work, and community that society expects of them. More than any other text, The Southern Bell Primer shows how American women, particularly those in the South, should cook, dress, and act.