📖Restoration Literature Unit 10 – Women Writers: Restoration & Early 1700s

Historical Context

• The Restoration period in England began in 1660 with the return of King Charles II to the throne after years of Puritan rule under Oliver Cromwell
• Women writers emerged during this time, challenging traditional gender roles and expectations
  • Increased access to education for upper-class women contributed to their literary pursuits
  • The rise of the middle class and the expansion of print culture provided new opportunities for women to publish their works
• The Enlightenment, a philosophical movement emphasizing reason and individualism, influenced the intellectual climate of the period
• The early 1700s saw the rise of the novel as a popular literary form
  • Women writers played a significant role in shaping the development of the novel
• Political and social instability marked the late 17th and early 18th centuries
  • The Glorious Revolution of 1688 established a constitutional monarchy and greater religious tolerance
  • The Act of Union in 1707 united England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain

Key Literary Figures

• Aphra Behn (1640-1689), one of the first English women to earn a living by writing
  • Known for her plays, novels, and poetry
  • Challenged conventional notions of gender and sexuality in her works
• Mary Astell (1666-1731), a pioneering feminist writer and philosopher
  • Advocated for women's education and equality in works such as "A Serious Proposal to the Ladies" (1694)
• Eliza Haywood (1693-1756), a prolific novelist, playwright, and actress
  • Explored themes of desire, seduction, and the position of women in society
• Delarivier Manley (1663-1724), a political satirist and novelist
  • Known for her scandalous roman à clef "The New Atalantis" (1709)
• Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689-1762), a poet, essayist, and letter writer
  • Celebrated for her wit, intelligence, and unconventional lifestyle
• Susanna Centlivre (1669-1723), a successful playwright
  • Wrote popular comedies that often featured strong, independent female characters

Major Works and Themes

• Aphra Behn's "Oroonoko" (1688), a novel exploring slavery, colonialism, and the human condition
  • Considered one of the earliest English novels and a precursor to the abolitionist movement
• Mary Astell's "Some Reflections Upon Marriage" (1700), a treatise critiquing the institution of marriage and advocating for women's autonomy
• Eliza Haywood's "Love in Excess" (1719-1720), a novel examining the dangers of unchecked passion and the double standards faced by women
• Delarivier Manley's "The Adventures of Rivella" (1714), a semi-autobiographical novel exposing the corruption and scandal of high society
• Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's "The Turkish Embassy Letters" (1763), a collection of letters documenting her travels and experiences in the Ottoman Empire
  • Provided a unique female perspective on foreign cultures and challenged Western stereotypes
• Susanna Centlivre's "The Busie Body" (1709), a comedy of manners satirizing the marriage market and gender roles

Writing Styles and Genres

• The early novel emerged as a distinct genre during this period
  • Women writers experimented with various forms, including the epistolary novel, the romance, and the picaresque
• Comedy of manners, a satirical form of drama exposing the foibles of upper-class society, was popular among women playwrights
• Poetry ranged from formal, neoclassical styles to more personal, introspective forms
  • Women poets explored themes of love, nature, and the female experience
• Essay writing, particularly the periodical essay, gained prominence
  • Women contributors to journals like "The Tatler" and "The Spectator" offered social commentary and moral instruction
• Memoirs and autobiographical writings provided intimate glimpses into women's lives and experiences

Social and Cultural Impact

• Women writers challenged traditional gender norms and expectations
  • Their works sparked debates about women's roles, rights, and education
• The rise of women in the literary world contributed to the growth of a female reading public
  • Women's increased literacy and leisure time fueled demand for novels and other forms of literature
• Women writers helped to legitimize the novel as a respectable literary genre
  • Their success paved the way for future generations of female novelists
• The portrayal of complex female characters and experiences in literature fostered greater understanding and empathy among readers
• Women's literary salons and clubs provided important spaces for intellectual exchange and sociability

Critical Reception and Analysis

• Contemporary reactions to women writers were mixed
  • Some praised their wit, creativity, and moral insights, while others criticized their works as scandalous or improper
• Later feminist critics have celebrated these writers as early pioneers of women's literature and feminist thought
  • Scholars have examined their works through the lenses of gender, sexuality, class, and race
• Postcolonial and cultural studies approaches have explored the intersections of gender, empire, and identity in works like Behn's "Oroonoko"
• Recent scholarship has focused on recovering the lives and works of lesser-known women writers from the period
  • Digitization projects and anthologies have made their texts more accessible to modern readers

Legacy and Influence

• The Restoration and early 18th-century women writers laid the groundwork for the female literary tradition in English
  • Their innovations in form, style, and subject matter inspired future generations of women writers
• The themes and concerns they explored, such as women's education, marriage, and social roles, continued to be central to women's literature in the centuries that followed
• Their challenges to gender norms and advocacy for women's rights foreshadowed the feminist movements of the 19th and 20th centuries
• The rediscovery and reappraisal of these writers in recent decades has enriched our understanding of the history of women's literature and the diversity of voices in the English literary canon

Further Reading and Resources

• "The Cambridge Companion to Early Modern Women's Writing" edited by Laura Lunger Knoppers (2009)
  • A comprehensive overview of women's writing in the 16th and 17th centuries, with essays on key authors, genres, and themes
• "Women Writers in English 1350-1850" edited by Patricia Demers (2000)
  • An anthology of works by women writers from the medieval period to the Victorian era, with biographical and critical introductions
• "Aphra Behn Online: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640-1830" (http://www.aphrabehn.org/)
  • An open-access, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the study of Aphra Behn and other early modern women writers
• "The Brown University Women Writers Project" (https://www.wwp.northeastern.edu/)
  • A digital collection of texts by women writers from the 16th to the 19th centuries, with scholarly introductions and annotations
• "The Emory Women Writers Resource Project" (https://womenwriters.digitalscholarship.emory.edu/)
  • A digital archive of texts by women writers from the 17th to the early 20th centuries, with biographical and bibliographical information