Cross-dressing and Gender Performance

This week's readings, in addition to being entertaining, encourage us to think about gender and the performance of gender roles in early America. We see characters "putting on" and "taking off" different genders in different situations, to accomplish different goals.

We discussed in class tonight that dressing as men allowed these female characters certain liberties not generally afforded to women in early America. Of course, women in contemporary society move around much more freely and have many more opportunities, but are there still times that women must "put on" masculinity in order to achieve certain goals? And conversely, can we think of any times men may be encouraged by society to "perform femininity"?

Please discuss these ideas in your posting. And remember that your blog posting is due by 5 on Thursday and your response to your peers by 5 on Friday.

Parents, teach your children well...

Our discussion of Charlotte Temple covered many interesting topics, but one of the most thought provoking was our exploration of agency in the text. Who was to blame for Charlotte's fall? And could it have been prevented? We get the impression that her parents did all they could to keep her out of harm's way, yet despite their efforts, the text did not provide a happy ending for Charlotte.

In your posting, please discuss the portrayal of Charlotte's parents—their actions, words, thoughts—and compare them to contemporary parenting roles. How have things change? How have they stayed the same? What can contemporary parents do to keep their children safe? How can parents today save their daughters and sons from a “treacherous heart” leads to betrayal and abuse?

Another Cause of Female Depravity?

As we turn our attention to novel reading, our recent discussions have revolved around the practice of reading novels as a sure road to "female depravity." It's almost as though the printed words on the page would erase a woman's virtue and ability to reason.

Our conversation in class today turned to modern examples of depravity-inducing texts, though it was limited to comparing novel reading to things like contemporary romantic comedies. But let's take a closer look—if the author of "Novel Reading: A Cause of Female Depravity" were writing today, what would be his or her subject? Remember, we were unsure if the author was male or female, so either perspective could work.

Please answer and discuss this question in your post. And remember, your post is due Thursday by 5, and your response to 3 peers is due Friday by 5.

Retrospective Readings

During the last three weeks we have read a number of early American magazine texts dealing with seduction and fallen women. What are your thoughts, reactions, and reflections on these curious texts? What did you get out of these texts? Which—if any—of the texts spoke to you in a direct, relevant way? Although yesterday’s texts dealt with familiar and topical issues like domestic abuse and teenage pregnancy, we could not generate much discussion about them, and we wondered why. Reflect back on this strange grouping of texts, and reflect back on your reading experiences, and comment on what happened when you encountered these texts.

Please remember that your posting is due by Thursday at 5pm, and your responses to your peers are due by Friday at 5pm.

What's Love Got To Do With It?

Tina Turner asks an excellent question: what, if anything, does love have to do with it? And we could ask this same question of this week's texts. How has the emergence of a social narrative detailing romantic love made its way into print culture? And to what ends? As we discussed in class, to this point most marriages were arranged. In light of that information, could a dependence on romantic love been seen as a rejection of the patriarchal structure? Or since all these women were victimized by their love, should marriage be (perhaps, still?) arranged? Please discuss these ideas and questions in your post.

NOTE: Your posting is due by Thursday at 5pm and your responses to your peers by Friday at 5pm.

Depictions of a Rake

The readings this week talk specifically about seduction and track the creation of the rake in American print culture. In your post, please discuss and describe a rake you have observed in contemporary American texts (movies, books, magazines, songs, TV shows, etc.) and/or in your life. How are these male figures different, or similar to, the seducers depicted in the late eighteenth-century magazine pieces? How has the persona evolved?

Your post is Monday, October 13 by 5pm and the responses to your peers due by Tuesday at 2pm.

Lessons for the Ladies

One of the common themes in this week’s readings is that of female instruction. Some of the narratives touch explicitly on the topic of education (reading, books, etc.) and others simply offer examples of the “ideal” woman, but they all instruct, in one way or another, women’s behavior.

In your posting, please discuss the types of instruction and education you see occurring in these texts. What are women encouraged to do? Not to do? According to the texts, how far does a woman’s education extend?

Please remember that your posting is due by Thursday at 8am and your response to your peers by Friday at 5pm.