Gender Roles In The Coquette

In the late 18th century, young men and women were given the responsibility of selecting their own spouse. This was a new practice, as prior to this time of change, parents would select suitable partners to take their child’s hand. While children did have the final say, this is the first time we see parents relinquish their power. Due to this change, women were put under pressure to find an appropriate partner and were blamed when they failed. Novels like The Coquette (The History of Eliza Wharton) taught these women how to find a suitor, but also blamed them for their seductive ways. We can see this in The Coquette by Eliza’s ignorance of the guidance given by her friends and family, by Eliza being warned constantly to not be misled by her …show more content…
Eliza’s support group unmistakably disapproved of Sanford taking her hand. This is first expressed by Eliza’s cousin, Mrs. Richman, “I must own that he (Sanford) is not the person with whom I wish my cousin to be connected” (17). Mrs. Richman later solidifies her feelings to Eliza by stating that Sanford is well below a gentleman due to his unvirtuous past (20) and displays her support for Boyer, “Your friends would be very happy to see you united to a man of Mr. Boyer’s worth” (24). Eliza’s best friend, Lucy Freeman, referred to Sanford as a “rake” (used to describe someone whose way of living is morally wrong) and that she wished to have not much of a connection with him (31), before expressing her approval of Boyer, “you will not find a more excellent partner than Mr. Boyer” (27). Throughout the story, Eliza’s mother was “excessively partial to” (68) Boyer and rejects Sanford. “I (Mrs. Wharton) wish you to find a friend and protector, worthy of being rewarded by your love…I think Mr. Boyer will prove” (41). Even her beloved Boyer refers to Sanford as a deceiver that is not to be trusted (84). Eliza’s friend, Julia Granby, concurs, “his professions of friendship (are) mere hypocrisy…I fear that he is acting over again the same unworthy acts, which formerly mislead you” (130). Given the outcome, the above passages …show more content…
Eliza states that she hopes her heart will remain free (13), yet actively pursues both Sanford and Boyer. There are quite a few occasions where Eliza is asked to commit and she responds that she needs more time to consider the request (26, 50, 52, 76, 78). She says this while admitting that she “(does) not intend to give (her) hand to any man at present” (50). She also states that she has “looked but little into (her) own heart, in regard to its future wishes and views” (29). Eliza’s pursuit of both men is very clear not only to her friends and family, but to the men that she pursuits as well. Eliza was suspected of this by Boyer’s friend T. Selby. Selby found Stanford to be “really interested in her movements” (44) and found them riding horseback together (45). Selby questioned to Boyer, “If she has any idea of a connection with you, why does she continue to associate with another?” (54). Eliza is later found by Boyer to be having a close conversation with Sanford in the garden, during a time when Eliza told Boyer she wanted to be alone (81). Eliza’s indecisiveness was her downfall. She was unable to commit to one man and that resulted in her losing both of them to other women. By the time she did make a decision, it was too late. Boyer was happily married and Sanford found his wealthy wife. From here, a downward spiral that led to her death