The Role Of Women In Sai Foster's The Coquette

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In the 1800’s a women had to choose a mate or a partner, who she would give everything to. Her rights and property were lost to her upon marriage, and everything, if she had received anything from their fathers then it would belong to her husband. Basically, the men controlled the women after they handed over their lives to living and caring for them alone. Even after the marriage if a woman so wished to get a divorce she would be denied that right, and could be even in danger of being arrested if she was to run away. Each women of different class had different roles they were divided or distinguished as Upper class, Lower class, and under class. The women of the upper class who were entitled to an inheritance, was usually from their father’s wealth. But as it is …show more content…

Fiction was looked on as a sort of manipulating genre that supposedly made others think of things differently. In the Coquette, Foster defines many aspects of 1800’s living, marriage, and status, and she makes these views in her point of view that not many agreed upon. It showed how a woman is left with nothing and it began to stir commotions between others. To be successful during that time as put by Foster was to find a suitable mate, and know that he must receive your undivided attention, but as for Eliza things did not turn out so well. She was left alone and though she had some friends you tend to stay away when they inform you that you have done something wrong, in Eliza’s case her excessive need for freedom and her want to be with Sanford for fun, “He is a gay man, my dear, to say no more, and such are the companions we wish, when we join a party avowedly formed for pleasure” (114). Eliza sadly only focused on the parties and freedom not the fun of being a wife, if there was such a thing at the

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