The Coquette by Hannah Webster Foster, is an epistolary novel framing the life of Eliza Wharton; a young woman captured and victimized by the era of her time. Published in 1797, The Coquette, similarly to a 1792 publication of A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Marry Wollstonecraft, challenges the status quo of the eighteenth century. The main character, Eliza, is used as a social rift of the era, breaking ground with “new” concepts and topics of the eighteenth century. This essay challenges whether or not Eliza was a coquette or just a meaningless victim by the licentious men and conservative standards held by her friends and family during that time. Furthermore, it will argue with evidence found in The Coquette, along with certain elements …show more content…
from a similar publication, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, which was published just five years before The Coquette. In the last decade of the eighteenth century, Eliza Wharton finds herself accused of being a coquette, a term that does not come lightly, meaning a woman who is flirting with or arousing the feelings of men without the intentions of reciprocating their attentions.
This term, not so much spoken of in modern day society, but could be seen and compared to our term of “tease”. Eliza excuses the accusation by her friend, Lucy Freeman, stating her beliefs of coquettish airs as something that “deserves a softer appellation; as they proceed from an innocent heart, and are the effusions of a youthful, and cheerful mind.” Her defense appears to diffuse the accusation as just mere curiosity of the mind and that the term coquette is too harsh of a word and that the meaning deserves such a softer appeal than the one society defines it …show more content…
as. Challenging the eighteenth century status quo and discussing the inequality of the sexes is a topic worthy of discussion for there is another sexual immoral character in The Coquette that does not seem to get as much flank as Eliza Wharton does. The character, Major Sanford, a “professed libertine”, adores Eliza but believes that it is his job to “avenge my sex, by retaliating the mischiefs, she meditates against us. Not that I have any ill designs; but only to play off her own artillery, by using a little unmeaning gallantry.” The most interesting phrase that stood out is that Major Sanford stated that he was going to avenge his sex, insinuating that there is a war of sexes and the Man, the superior being, must put women in their rightful inferior place. It is worth noting that women of the eighteenth century, and arguably today, are held to a higher standard than men.
From a historical standpoint, quoting The Vindication of the Rights of Women is only fitting because it too is a historical document from the same time period. Mary Wollstonecraft writes, “Women are told from their infancy, and taught by the example of their mothers, that a little knowledge of human weakness, justly termed cunning, softness of temper, outward obedience, and a scrupulous attention to a puerile kind of propriety, will obtain for them the protection of man; and should they be beautiful, every thing else is needless, for at least twenty years of their lives”. Eliza Wharton, being like all women held to a prestigious standard, does not wish to be constrained to the social lifestyle that is put upon her. However, alike in Wollstonecraft’s novel, it is analyzed that women are regarded as subordinate members of society from the moment that they are born, and are socialized to want to be beautiful so that they may attract members of the opposite sex, the superior ones, the
Men. Given evidence posits Eliza as being held to a different standard than Major Sanford, the rake, and any other male characters in the novel and of her time; furthermore because of this, she is dubbed the coquette. An unjust ruling for Eliza and any women alike. Wollstonecraft states in her novel “Ah! Why do women, I write with affectionate solicitude, condescend to receive a degree of attention and respect from strangers, different from that reciprocation of civility which the dictates of humanity and the politeness of civilization authorise between man and man? And, why do they not discover, when 'in the noon of beauty's power,' that they are treated like queens only to be deluded by hollow respect, till they are led to resign, or not assume, their natural prerogatives”. Contrasting Wollstonecraft to Eliza’s best friend, Lucy Freeman; Lucy believes that Major Sanford is best not suited for Eliza and that his intentions are not compatible with hers: “Methinks I can gather from your letters, a predilection for this Major Sanford. But he is a rake, my dear friend; and can a lady of your delicacy and refinement, think of forming a connection with a man of that character? I hope not. Nay, I am confident you do not.” It is transparent that both sets of evidence elude to the sexist ideologies held by society of the eighteenth century however, blinding to Eliza to notice for she cannot comprehend such concepts because she has been befuddled to it from the moment she was born. The Coquette’s Eliza Wharton, was molded for an eighteenth century lady from her very first breath. Molded to fit the social constraints of a sexist, unequal, and unjust society. Wharton was a victim of sexual inequality, a victim of conservative stereotypes and a victim of her era. For Eliza Wharton only wanted freedom; “Let me have opportunity, unbiased by opinion, to gratify my natural disposition in a participation of those pleasures which youth and innocence afford”, freedom that was never granted to her.
The title character of Catharine Maria Sedgewick’s novel, Hope Leslie, defies the standards to which women of the era were to adhere. Sedgewick’s novel is set in New England during the 17th century after the Puritans had broken away from the Church of England. Hope Leslie lives in a repressive Puritan society in which women behave passively, submit to the males around them, and live by the Bible. They allow the men of their family to make decisions for them and rarely, if ever, convey an opinion that differs from the status quo. However, Hope Leslie does not conform to the expected behavior of women during that time, behavior that only further expressed the supposed superiority of males. Hope portrays behaviors and attitudes common in a woman today. Hope is capable of thinking for herself, is courageous, independent, and aggressive. Sir Philip Gardner describes Hope as having “a generous rashness, a thoughtless impetuosity, a fearlessness of the… dictators that surround her, and a noble contempt of fear” (211). In comparison to Esther Downing, Hope is the antithesis of what a young Puritan woman should be, and in turn, Hope gains a great deal of respect from the readers of the novel through her “unacceptable” behavior.
Cott, Nancy F. The Bonds of Womanhood: "Woman's Sphere" in New England, 1780-1835. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1977.
A coquette is a woman who flirts without a sincere affection to gain the attention of the man. Eliza Wharton does her fair share of flirting in Hannah Webster Foster’s novel. She is stubborn and refuses all the advice she is offered. Eliza misses things right in front of her and doesn’t realize her mistakes until it is too late. Eliza Wharton was responsible for her own downfall.
In her article “‘But is it any good?’: Evaluating Nineteenth-Century American Women’s Fiction,” Susan Harris provides methods and criteria for examining Women’s Fiction in what she calls “process analysis” (45). To apply Harris’ guidelines to Catherine Maria Sedgwick’s A New England Tale, I must first “acknowledge the ideological basis of [my] endeavor” (45) as a feminist/equalitist critique of the text. Furthermore, I identify the three-fold approach that Harris describes as historical, in distinguishing early nineteenth-century from mid- to late-century attitudes, rhetorical, in labeling Sedgwick’s communication to readers didactic, and ideological, by understanding my objections stem from twenty-first-century attitudes. Harris also explains, “If we look at them as both reactive and creative…we can understand [texts’] aesthetic, moral, and political values” (45); I consider A New England Tale to have a sentimental aesthetic, a Christian morality, and a support of female subordination.
In examining how women fit into the "men's world" of the late eighteenth century, I studied Eliza Fenwick's novel Secresy and its treatment of women, particularly in terms of education. What I found to be most striking in the novel is the clash between two very different approaches to the education of women. One of these, the traditional view, is amply expressed by works such as Jean-Jaques Rousseau's Emile, which states that women have a natural tendency toward obedience and therefore education should be geared to enhance these qualities (Rousseau, pp. 370, 382, 366). Dr. John Gregory's A Father's Legacy to His Daughters also belongs to this school of thought, stating that wit is a woman's "most dangerous talent" and is best kept a well-guarded secret so as not to excite the jealousy of others (Gregory, p. 15). This view, which sees women as morally and intellectually inferior, is expressed in the novel in the character of Mr. Valmont, who incarcerates his orphaned niece in a remote part of his castle. He asserts that he has determined her lot in life and that her only duty is to obey him "without reserve or discussion" (Fenwick, p.55). This oppressive view of education served to keep women subservient by keeping them in an ignorant, child-like state. By denying them access to true wisdom and the right to think, women were reduced to the position of "a timid, docile slave, whose thoughts, will, passions, wishes, should have no standard of their own, but rise, or change or die as the will of the master should require" (Fenwick, 156).
Wollstonecraft, Mary. “From A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.” Class handout.
Eliza Fenwick’s novel Secresy portrays the image of an innocent female that is kept locked up and out of the social world; the problems that arise when this innocent female attempts to break out of this social location reveals the major oppression of the female society in the late 18th century. Females are kept in their own social sphere through oppression by males, and when secluded females enter into male spheres they cannot endure this change and end up severely damaged or dead. Eliza Fenwick’s Secresy shows the seclusion, oppression, escape, and death of Sibella, the innocent female.
Wollstonecraft, Mary. “A Vindication of the Rights of Women with Structures on Political and Moral
In Mary Wollstonecraft’s The Wrongs of Woman, or Maria and Mary Robinson’s The Natural Daughter women are subject to many hardships economically, simply because they are women. Women are not given sufficient opportunity, as men are, to pursue a living. Even if she is a woman of taste and morals, she may be treated as though she is a criminal and given no means to protect herself. In order for a woman to be sustained, she must marry into slavery, dishonor herself through unsavory work, or be lucky enough to be properly educated and given proper reference.
Vindication of the Rights for Women by Mary Wollstonecraft was published in 1792, during the French Revolution. Wollstonecraft preached that intellect will always govern to persuade women not to endeavor to acquire knowledge but convince them that the soft phrases, acceptability of heart, delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of taste, are most preferred. By intellect, I mean the men because they were the ones that were allowed to get an education therefore allowing them to become intellectual. Wollstonecraft cleverly does not try to prove her point through protests or accusations, but argue that women are not naturally inferior to men, but appear to be only because they lack education. She suggests that both men and women should be treated as rational beings and imagines a social order founded on reason. She believed it was unfair for women to be treated differently and passionately wanted to make a change. That it was time to let go of feelings and begin the thought process behind the rationality of the women’s predicament. Men felt that while they would get an education an...
Charlotte Bront’s Jane Eyre entails a social criticism of the oppressive social ideas and practices of nineteenth-century Victorian society. The presentation of male and female relationships emphasizes men’s dominance and perceived superiority over women. Jane Eyre is a reflection of Bront’s own observation on gender roles of the Victorian era, from the vantage point of her position as governess, much like Jane’s. Margaret Atwood’s novel was written during a period of conservative revival in the West partly fueled by a strong, well-organized movement of religious conservatives who criticized ‘the excesses of the sexual revolution.’ Where Bront’s Jane Eyre is a clear depiction of the subjugation of women by men in nineteenth-century Western culture, Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale explores the consequences of a reversal of women’s rights by men.
Women today are still viewed as naturally inferior to men, despite the considerable progress done to close this gap. Females have made a huge difference in their standing from 200 years ago. Whether anyone is sexist or not, females have made considerable progress from where they started, but there is still a long journey ahead. Mary Wollstonecraft was an advocate of women 's rights, a philosopher, and an English writer. One of Wollstonecraft’s best works was “A Vindication of the Rights of Women” (1792). In her writing, she talks about how both men and women should be treated equal, and reasoning could create a social order between the two. In chapter nine of this novel, called “Of the Pernicious Effects Which Arise from the Unnatural Distinctions Established in Society,”
Mary Wollstonecraft was a self-educated, radical philosopher who wrote about liberation, and empowering women. She had a powerful voice on her views of the rights of women to get good education and career opportunities. She pioneered the debate for women’s rights inspiring many of the 19th and the 20th century’s writers and philosophers to fight for women’s rights, as well. She did not only criticize men for not giving women their rights, she also put a blame on women for being voiceless and subservient. Her life and, the surrounding events of her time, accompanied by the strong will of her, had surely affected the way she chose to live her life, and to form her own philosophies.
Gorham, Deborah. A. A. The Victorian Girl and the Feminine Ideal. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1982. Martineau, Harriet.
Katherine Mansfield belongs to a group of female authors that have used their financial resources and social standing to critique the patriarchal status quo. Like Virginia Woolf, Mansfield was socioeconomically privileged enough to write influential texts that have been deemed as ‘proto-feminist’ before the initial feminist movements. The progressive era in which Mansfield writes proves to be especially problematic because, “[w]hile the Modernist tradition typically undermined middle-class values, women … did not have the recognized rights necessary to fully embrace the liberation from the[se] values” (Martin 69). Her short stories emphasized particular facets of female oppression, ranging from gendered social inequality to economic classism, and it is apparent that “[p]oor or rich, single or married, Mansfield’s women characters are all victims of their society” (Aihong 101). Mansfield’s short stories, “The Garden Party” and “Miss Brill”, represent the feminist struggle to identify traditional patriarchy as an inherent caste system in modernity. This notion is exemplified through the social bonds women create, the naïve innocence associated with the upper classes, and the purposeful dehumanization of women through oppressive patriarchal methods. By examining the female characters in “The Garden Party” and “Miss Brill”, it is evident that their relationships with other characters and themselves notify the reader of their encultured classist preconceptions, which is beneficial to analyze before discussing the sources of oppression.