How are so many women in historical romances able to pass as boys?

Question

It bugs me...really it does. My mom is petite, she is about 5'2...but that is still could be too tall to pass as a 12 year old boy. Were these women just really short back then? heh. And these women are always described with feminine curves....men don't have those curves...even little boys with some baby chub. What about their faces? Women, even 18 year olds, usually have some pouty lips. My lips are thin, but plump enough to know they are not a man's lips. And the cheek bones and the cute, pert nose? I just don't get it. lol.

Lamia, duh. Haven't you ever taken a book you read that was meant to be fantasy and criticized the author's choices?

Answer 1

I used to think those were cute. Part of it has to do with period. It's true today most women wouldn't be able to pull that off but in the days of hoop skirts, who knows maybe men weren't that observant.

Plus its suspenseful with the guy figures out she's a girl and is well let's just say he is VERY interested. LOL.

Answer 2

You realize that historical romances are fiction, right? So many of these fictional heroines are able to "pass" for boys because the writer decided that would make a neat story if they did. If you don't find it convincing, the author must not have done a very good job of writing the story. I'd agree that if a writer is emphasizing a character's "feminine curves" and yet having her successfully pass as a boy, they must not be thinking too hard about realism.

But remember, not every woman is 5'2" with a curvy figure and delicate features. There have always been tall women, and women with more boyish builds. In time periods where clothing was more concealing than it is now, and when men and women had very different styles of dress, it also would have been easier for women to pass. It's a lot easier to hide your curves under an undershirt, shirt, vest, and jacket than it is under just a t-shirt!

In history there are a number of known cases of women who managed to pass themselves off as boys/men, sometimes for many years, so this sort of thing can and did happen. Just not as often as it seems to in cheesy historic novels!

ETA: No, actually, I never have read a book meant as fantasy and then criticized it for being a fantasy and thus not strictly realistic.

Answer 3

Considering the number of historical (non-fiction) cases of women passing themselves off as men, this is not really a surprise. Most common: women dressing as men so they could join the military (and get soldiers' pay). Joan of Arc was hardly the first.

What may be relevant is the clothing and/or disguise - especially the quantity of clothing. I think a woman could easily pass herself off as a boy if she "stuffed her shirt" to make it look like she was paunchy rather than buxom. Loose shirt and pants and shorn hair add to the disguise. And, of course, the average guy is not going to be checking out a boy the way he does a girl. Guys don't pay attention to other guys' appearances (at least, guys my age don't) the way girls pay attention to other girls. Generally speaking, once I've seen a guy, I don't check out any of the details. I probably can't tell you what most men I've seen today were wearing - it's entirely lacking in importance. A guy who saw a woman disguised as a boy would likely never scrutinize beyond an initial glance. When guys talk to other guys, they generally look at each others' faces. When we talk to women, our eyes tend to wander a bit more.

As for lips - I don't believe that is a good indication. Many women do not have "plump" lips, and many men do. Ever hear of Mick Jagger? Besides, that's *another* physical property that men don't usually scrutinize.

Jim, http://www.life-after-harry-potter.com

Answer 4

Actually this is true. It happened in real life too. I watch alot of History channel and there were an incredible # of female soldiers in the civil war. People see what they expect to see. And in the good old days people were very private about their privacy and didn't bathe nearly so often. While you are right about "feminine" features, i don't think it was that uncommon. There must have been gay and lesbian ppl around then too and you don't hear anything said about them.

Answer 5

Shakespeare's casts were original made up of men, which means young boys played the female parts, so why not the other way around? Clothes make the woman, too, apparently.

Answer 6

I pass as a boy everyday I'm here. lol

yah, people used to be shorter and also skinnier, and reached puberty late in their teens. A woman can always hide her curves with duct tape and bands.

:D