Critical Essay on The Coquette by Hannah Webster Foster

Introduction

The Coquette presents compelling themes of a single woman who dies after giving births. It presents the history of Eliza Wharton who was one of the significant figures in the 18th century. The work is performed through a series of letters that describes different scenes of the protagonist. Through the letters and characters contained in the novel, the author focuses on providing a first-person sensation to the readers. It presents the actual story of the sufferings and difficulties that a woman undergoes after being expelled from her marriage. This occurred after the death the clergyman whom she was nursing at her home. Therefore, after the encounter, she decides to gain encounter of a life outside marriage where she found herself in the hand of other people. The surrounding community, therefore, influenced her life both positively and negatively.

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According to Foster and Jane (6), Eliza's personal life revealed significant problems linked to relationship issues. Besides, it presents a broader context of challenges that were faced in a male-dominated world of the 18th century. However, her challenges narrow down to the broken marriage and concurrent courtship of two men who had no intention of marrying her. One of them was Boyer who was a clergyman. Eliza's view of this Boyer's character was negative (Foster and Jane, 120). The other man was Stanford who was somehow reserved and aristocratic regarding his perception of the world. In trying to weigh different factors among the two men, Eliza failed to identify outstanding characters of both men and left with confusion on deciding on who should have married her. "I believe I shall never again resume those airs, which you term coquettish, but which I think deserve a softer appellation; as they proceed from an innocent heart, and are the effusions of a youthful, and cheerful mind (Foster and Jane 7)." Due to indecisions, the two men married and Eliza was left with no choice of the two. However, Stanford later creates an affair with Eliza but then escapes from her home and dies due to childbirth in a strange land.

While many factors describe the need female freedom from the story, courtship and marriage provide the key themes of the other part of the story. The restrictive confines within the novel present the situations based on a real-life story. Even though the novel presents the different context of moral nature of the character's decision-making, there is much to do with a dysphoric aspect which further enhances the ability of the readers to understand the good part of the novel. The novel ends with "with heroin death.... and the move is from all in this world to 'nothing (152)." The protagonist is initially viewed to start a good life with family. However, she ends up negatively with problems surrounding her life which further causes her to escape from her home to seek refuge in a different place.

The moralistic convictions of the story exist in three thematic contexts. The first one is contained in the first 48 letters where the situations were occurring at the urban centers. At that point, Eliza had a successful life and self-realization through married life (Foster and Jane, 56). She focuses self-development and addressed different challenges based on the issues linked to the freedom, independence, and nature of the marital problems. "Sometimes one preponderates, sometimes the other. Which will finally outweigh, time alone can reveal (Foster and Jane, 51)." She overcame the challenges even at the first instance where plans had been arranging that seemed to reverse the marriage plans. The second section, therefore, provides Eliza's challenging encounters in her hometown. She addresses her struggles alone even with the introduction of the new men who challenge her decision-making strategies on making a second choice to her life. Stanford and Julia take over, but they seemed to undermine Eliza's strengths and capabilities regarding making a good marriage. Julia perceives that Eliza was not in the right position to make any severe decisions such as those relating to marriage. In regard to these men, my fancy and my judgment are in scales. She states that 'Eliza's mind is not perfectly right, 345.' The third section, therefore, features Eliza with dynamic problems linked took relationship and pregnancy

Even though Eliza tried as much as possible to overcome the challenges facing her life, she is challenged and confused with the consequences of her actions. Besides, she presents a person with poor moral judgments. Although the surrounding people and environment are negative, her decisions contributed to the problems she is facing. The approaches toward the existing challenges could have been effective if not for the wrong decisions she makes in life. Her first marriage was shown to have had a major impact on the ability to understand different factors regarding her social life. She viewed it's as one of the factors that limited her success in life. However, there was a need to face the outside world. The approach to life was initially right. However, she is challenged with different perspectives regarding the people who come to her life. Therefore, the effects of the needs and the influence of the people she dates later affected her ability to make sound decisions. The context further illuminated the political ideology that dominated in the 18th century (Foster and Jane 111). The male-dominated world of politics influenced women in different ways. Most of them ended up losing interest in politics due to pressure constraints created from a male-dominated environment. Alternative lifestyles for women challenges woman's lives

The criticism for Eliza's actions highlights the exposed context of the morality of the time. Even though Eliza's character and behaviors are quite sympathetic to her decisions, however, portrays her role as an American woman. Moral ambiguity is created when the author asks the readers to" throw a veil over her frailties, for great was her charity to others." This, therefore, undermines the fact that Eliza has been presented with an inability to make the right decisions in life. Moreover, cultural influences have played a crucial role in providing an understanding of the actual context of the life of Eliza. The influence of her parents was based on the cultural perspectives of marriage and other factors linked to social challenges. The increasing complexity of her life presents the actual historical challenges that tend to limit n women into politics. Besides the American style of life was .shown as one of the most influential when incomes to the situations where women are involved.

Moral justification is one of the crucial factors that contribute to the judgments and decisions taken by a person. From Eliza's experience, marriage is shown as one institution that is attached to subordination and obedience and occurs out of moral choices. Besides, it is one of the factors accepted in society as one of the important institutions that women should get themselves into it. However, the women around her life were unprepared to understand her situation. Julia for instance, could not interpret her relationship decisions with the two men. On the contrary, the mother and other women around her cannot understand the rebellious character noted in her life. Her style is only seen from an immoral and insane perspective.

For the case of men, the truth had justified a revolution into a new world. Morality was viewed from the context of a person getting herself into the right path, and enduring challenges linked the situation. The situational context of the case of Eliza has and both harmful and influential of life. It also presents the kind of problems encountered by women in the political world. It further shows a situation where women are incapable of addressing issues without considering the standards and the level of its consequences. As a result, there has been a significant effect on the aspect of revolution and women are getting themselves in situations unfit for their health and interpretation of life challenges. The case of Eliza could have caused more consequences to the peopled around her. For instance, the affair could have created conflicts with the family of Stanford and limited the peaceful coexistence of different people. Every action has a consequence, so is the case of Eliza. However, the value can have both excellent and adverse effects on a person's life. As a result, there is a need to address the challenges reasonably. Judgments are crucial in identifying the right decisions to take in life. Therefore, limitations of movements could impact or effect, people in a different way. Therefore, establishing the right approaches is crucial in every decision makings. Considering the case of Eliza, it is true that she could not address the need of having time to address the challenges facing. As a result, there was a significant problem in making moral decisions. This negative consequence manifested throughout her life.

Works Cited

Foster, Hannah Webster, and Jane Ermina Locke. The Coquette: Or, The History of Eliza Wharton. A Novel: Founded on Fact. WP Fetridge, 1855.