The document discusses the "cult of domesticity" in 19th century America, which regulated women's behavior to the home and family. It provides background on the cult and directs readers to analyze four primary source passages illustrating the cult's principles of piety, purity, submissiveness and domesticity. The passages both positively and negatively portray the principles, with some emphasizing the security and comfort women gained by accepting male authority, while others demonstrate how women used language to shift stances and speak out on moral issues.