1. The Wife's Resentment by Delarivier Manley
... Delarivier Manley's The Wife's Resentment engages with 18th-century notions of female identity, sexuality, and criminality, using a subtle mixture of counter-arguments to successfully flip the early conventions on their heads. Through her (very appropriately named) heroine Violenta, Manley examines the lack of options and loss ... ideals leaves women. However, rather than launching into an explicit diatribe against the repressive societal standards women of the 18th century were subject to, Manley's novel employs a more subtle approach in highlighting the contradictory foundation upon w...
- Word Count: 1986
- Approx Pages: 8
- Grade Level: Graduate