English Language and Literature Commons^™

From Major To Minor Characters: The Fallen Woman And Her Female Friends In The Novels Of Wollstonecraft, Hays, And Austen, Anne Mclaughlin

English Honors Papers

In this thesis I argue that Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Hays, and Jane Austen use female-female friendships, sororal relationships, and depictions of the “fallen” woman in their novels to expose the oppressive nature of patriarchy and marriage for women. Wollstonecraft and Hays were radical in their time, which is represented in their novels that point out marriage’s inequities towards women in regard to divorce laws and custody laws. Focusing on how marriage impacts a woman’s friendships, Austen acknowledges the potentially isolating nature of marriage.

Wollstonecraft and Hays wrote novels that eschew the marriage plot by focusing on how female-female relationships provide …

Destabilizing Shakespeare: Reimagining Character Design In 1 Henry Vi, Carly Sponzo

Self-Designed Majors Honors Papers

No abstract provided.