Letters for Literary Ladies: to which is added An Essay on the Noble Science of Self-Justification

by Maria Edgeworth

Part of the Everyman series, which includes a themed introduction, a chronology, notes and a selection of criticism. The letters which make up this book all centre on the power - relations between women and men in the late - 18th century.

Genres: Classics, Feminism, Womens, Irish Literature

95 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1798

About the author

Maria Edgeworth was an Anglo-Irish gentry-woman, born in Oxfordshire and later resettling in County Longford. She eventually took over the management of her father's estate in Ireland and dedicated herself to writing novels that encouraged the kind treatment of Irish tenants and the poor by their landlords.

Reviews

[lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Fair idiots! Let women of sense, wit, feeling triumph in their various arts; yours are superior."

[Rima · Rating 3 out of 5]

One guy advises his friend upon his new daughter's birth that educating women was a dangerous prospect and his friend replies brilliantly. Last half failed to impress me.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story of sensible Caroline and her giddy friend Julia, presented in a series of letters over several years. Wise Caroline advises her friend in vain. The story is sandwiched between the letters of two gentlemen arguing about the intellectual capacity of women and an essay of advice to young ladies.

The text serves as an interesting reflection of common arguments and thoughts of the period (perfect for fans of social/thought history). The story of Caroline and Julia was genuinely very engaging and well-done; you can really see Edgeworth’s talents as a fiction writer at the dawn of their development.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first published work of the profilific and brilliant Maria Edgeworth, in literary terms this is really just a curiosity, though it does successfully show off the astute intellect of the author to its height. The edition I read came in three very different parts. Firstly, a pair of letters which contain arguments for and against focusing on the education of one's daughter's reasons and morals as opposed to purely raising her a woman of feeling. Secondly the actual letters of ladies which demonstrate the consequence of living ones life according to feeling rather than reason and thirdly a very witty satire which instructs women on how to successfully argue against their husband and always win (i.e non-rationally). I'm not sure if the third section was published alongside the first two originally.

I found the most interesting section to be the first, which shows the rising awareness amongst both men and women that huge assumptions were made about the nature of women and that men's arguments for continuing to socialise women negatively were tilted entirely in favour of their keeping that status quo. What interested me was that Edgeworth doesn't attack the subject from one of "rights" but instead of "education", seemingly realising that the former as an argument would look to men as "histrionic" and aggressive, but an argument in favour of the potential usefulness and productivity of women, outlining the benefits to society for everyone in their thoroughgoing education (particular as to them making good wives!), may have been more positively viewed as a way forward. I'm also interested in Edgeworth's astute realisation that societal and patriarchal influences do more to shape the nature of women than inherent characteristics, and she seems to firmly reject the notion that women are born as feeling sentimentalists.

The second section isn't as successful, but is intriguing nonetheless. It's far too brief, one sided and to the point, and comes across as one literary author chastising the "feeling" woman for not making the right choices, rather than the open debate seen in the first part. The point is, though, to show the dire consequences of not educating women and again, the negative impacts this has on everyone in society as a whole; but it would have been a much more intriguing novelette had it stood alone and been fleshed out.

Certainly, reading this little essay of sorts has made me want to revisit Edgeworth's work, though this one will probably be of more interest to me and those looking at the history of feminist thought, than casual readers.

[Eleanor · Rating 2 out of 5]

my favourite part was the essay about how to gaslight men

[MelPaczka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be read by anyone interested in the rights of women and the historical situation about them. Maria Edgeworth managed to convey the different arguments and point of views from the men and women in this book in the form of letters to both explicitly write the arguments and answer through arument and the plot of the letters from Caroline to Julia. It is far from the feminism of our time, but historically instructing and maybe even ahead of their time defending the rights of women to be educated and the why should that be so.

[Tabrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a challenging read, it's always interesting to read 17th-18th century thoughts on marriage and gender roles. I've read Maria Edgeworth before and her humor really shines in this work. She is able to do something really intriguing, writing in a voice that differs from the ideas that Edgeworth has. She uses sarcasm but uses great insight to get her point across. Although you question what Edgeworth's ideas on marriage are, it doesn't mean you shouldn't give them a listen. 

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good answer to Rousseau's Émile.

[Rizowana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review will be posted soon.

[Bailey Tolentino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soooo interesting. Every section is very effective and thought-provoking. A satire, political statement, and philosophical piece all in one.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a reading I did for a JASNA event. This was set up by: Dr Kim Simpson
Postdoctoral Fellow

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I found it interesting especially the 2nd letter between the men which supported women being educated and therefore better citizens in society.