Abstract
The historiography on the English family is divided between those who view the family as a sanctuary of emotional support and those who consider it an institution of female oppression, sibling jealousy, and intergenerational rivalry. The detailed archives of the Barrett-Lennard family reveal that this divide is mainly the product of a simplistic depiction of family life in the past, which fails to take into account the shifts in family relationships. Moreover, in examining patriarchy in the home, historians have concentrated on the marital relationship, excluding other male- female diads such as brother and sister. Finally, they have not yet thoroughly investigated patriarchy in action as opposed to in principle. Patriarchy was so long-lasting not because its harsh strictures were softened by affection but because the system contained within it the necessary structures for mitigation.
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