Eliza Haywood and her rebellious pen in early modern England, /

Abstract

The eighteenth century was a time of change. Among the changes were the emergence of the novel and the establishment of the professional woman writer. This thesis examines the life and work of Eliza Fowler Haywood, who, until recently has remained obscure. Haywood is one of the most prolific and enigmatic writers of the eighteenth century with a career that spans more than forty years. Until recently, George Whicher's 1915 biography, The ute and Romances of Mrs. Eliza Haywood has been the primary source of information pertaining to Haywood's life. The first chapter of this study focuses on the most recent biography written in 1991 by Christine Blouch entitled, Eliza Haywood and the Romance of Obscurity. Chapter two examines The British Recluse, one of Haywood's early novels, to demonstrate her insight into women's issues and her defiance of the patriarchal society in which she emerged. Later in Haywood's literary career a moralistic and conventional heroine emerges. Chapter three will focus on The History ofJemmy and Jenny Jessamy, a later novel, to demonstrate Haywood's evolution as a novelist.