The Coquette

The Coquette 

• Genre: Fiction; epistolary novel; early American literature 
• Originally Published: 1797 
• Reading Level/Interest: Grades 9-12; college/adult 
• Structure/Length: Divided into 74 letters; approximately 192 pages; approximately 6 hours, 52 minutes on audiobook 
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The protagonist, Eliza Wharton, is a young woman caught between the affections of two men: Reverend Mr. Boyer, who offers her a stable, societal-approved match, and Major Sanford, a charming but unreliable suitor. The novel is set in post-Revolutionary America and explores themes of female autonomy, societal expectations, and the repercussions of personal choice.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes of social and sexual autonomy, moral judgment, and societal pressure; mentions the deaths of several young children; ends with the tragic death of the protagonist

Hannah Webster Foster, Author 

• Bio: Born in 1758; died in 1840; American novelist; known for her contributions to early American literature, particularly for writing one of the United States’ first novels; Foster’s work provides critical insights into the social and gender dynamics of her time, exploring 18th-century constraints on women
• Other Works: The Boarding School (1798) 

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Virginity
• Republican Womanhood, Wifehood, and Motherhood
• Guilt and Illness

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Explore background information on seduction stories and the epistolary form to increase their engagement with and understanding of The Coquette.