Well, turns out that The Blithedale Romance was one part snooze-fest, one part mass-confusion, and one part complete verbosity. Not the enjoyable read I was hoping for. But, all is not lost because next up in my 1850s class is Ruth Hall by Fanny Fern. This semi-autobiographical novel was one of the most sold books of the 1850s, and by a woman no less! I’m about 40 pages in and already very intrigued.
In short, Ruth leads a pretty rough life and has been harrassed by just about everyone she has ever known, family included. The novel is more or less about her story of struggle and her ability to eventually overcome odds that everyone felt were against her. Ruth Hall was heavily criticized, however, because people just couldn’t believe that a woman could be filled with so much emotion. Seriously. They thought that Fanny Fern had written in such an “unfeminine” way, and it made it difficult to appreciate anything about the novel. This kind of justification for a negative review would never hold today, but it’s so interesting to think of the double standards and unfairness that women lived with 150 years ago.
In the introduction to the book, written by Susan Belasco, a small excerpt is included. Fanny Fern was a highly esteemed journalist (even if not everyone agreed with her novel) and had this to say to the readership of the New York Ledger:
“Write! Rescue a part of each week at least for reading, and putting down on paper, for your own private benefit, your thoughts and feelings. Not for the world’s eye unless you choose, but to lift yourselves out of the dead-level of your lives; to keep off inanition (sic); to lessen the number who are yearly added to our lunatic asylums from the ranks of the misappreciated (sic), unhappy womanhood, narrowed by lives made up of details. Fight it! Oppose it, for your own sakes and your children’s! (August 10, 1867)” (xxxix)
I mean, come on. How great is that? I couldn’t agree more on the importance of reading each day, even if it is just a little before bedtime. I’ve realized over the past couple years how important writing is to me as well. I truly love coming up with things to write about on this forum, and even emails can be a pleasure (nerd alert!). Dare I say that my paper writing has become less of a burden? No, not yet. That’s just too fast, too furious.
But, honestly, I think what Miss Fern had to say was so inspiring. Whatever may be burdening our day, our mind or our heart, take a little time to read and write and let’s see how much better we feel.
Belasco, Susan. Introduction. Ruth Hall. By Fanny Fern. New York: Penguin Books, 1997. xv-xlv. Print.
A Broad At Home 