Who was thought of as lower: slaves or women?
Most of us can agree that slavery was terrible in every way. That said, look at how Blanche was treated. This vile double-standard that a man can whore around as much as he likes but the very notion that a woman isn't a virgin until marriage is inconceivable is just so nauseating.
& sadly it holds true today in many cultures even in our very own country(see Real Housewives Of New Jersey).
The idea of a woman being thought of as so incapable & unworthy is sickening even back then. She isn't allowed sexual pleasure or even the right to vote but her husband, because he's a man gets all these privileges simply for being a man.
& then even after he had impregnated countless slaves, the fact that he was driven to murder after finding out that his wife had been "spoiled" by a black man, it's just insanity.
Like, it's the very definition of double-standard.
It's difficult for me to really wrap my head around it honestly. It's like trying to rationalize with a religious fanatic. It's like there are some things that are just kind of bred into people & logic simply won't penetrate.
& the saddest thing is that he had the potential to be a decent man. He could feel love & remorse, but societal norms corrupted him in such a way that he had to conform.