Female Quixotism

by Tabitha Gilman Tenney, Cathy N. Davidson (Foreword), Jean Nienkamp (Editor)

The Early American Women Writers series offers rare works of fiction by eighteenth- and nineteenth-century women, each reprinted in its entirety, each introduced by Cathy N. Davidson, who places the novel in an historical and literary perspective. Ranging from serious cautionary tales about moral corruption to amusing and trenchant social satire, these books provide today's reader with a unique window into the earliest American popular fiction and way of life.

First published in 1801, Female Quixotism is a boisterous, rollicking anti-romance and literary satire. It takes place in the fictional village of L---, Pennsylvania, where its central character Dorcas Sheldon—who styles herself the romantic "Dorcasina"—sets out on a quixotic quest for the kind of romantic love portrayed in her favorite English novels. Having rejected the prosaic yet honorable advances of her first suitor, "Lysander," Dorcasina narrowly escapes marriage to a series of unscrupulous rogues interested mostly in her considerable fortune. Moving from one misadventure to another, the heroine's journey ends in a lonely old age bereft of romantic illusion.

Female Quixotism was written during a period of self-definition for the fledgling American republic, and offers a telling glimpse of gender, race, and class issues—as volatile then as they are today. Its woman's-eye view of the life and literature of the age provides a tragicomic parody of the limited choices available to women in a society dedicated to the principle that all men are created equal.

Genres: Fiction, 19th Century, Classics, Womens, American, 18th Century, School

332 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1801

About the author

Tabitha Gilman Tenney was an early American author from Exeter, New Hampshire.

Reviews

[Rebecca Russavage · Rating 4 out of 5]

The number of elaborate pranks characters played on Dorcasina really paints a picture of what people did before TV.

[lydie holt · Rating 2 out of 5]

just a wee bit boring

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky, hilarious early American novel that follows the magnificently common Dorcasina in her efforts to behave properly based completely on ideas of human interaction she has gleaned from reading novels (thus the reference in the title to Quixote). This bills itself as "a cautionary tale," designed to dissuade proper young ladies from reading novels because they will damage their character, but the very fact that it is a novel itself shows how tongue-in-cheek the whole thing is. One of my favorite satires.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first reaction to this was, "Wow, Dorcasina is an idiot." Then I realized what was going on to make her act the in the ridiculous ways she did and I had a better understanding of her and her situation. Writing done during this time period is not my favorite, and that also was part of the reason why I at first did not enjoy reading this, but once that can be overcome this is not too cumbersome or difficult.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hell of a lot better than I thought it'd be.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty crazy book, to be quite honest. Well done in creating the reader who takes the words too literally. Loved it!

[Rachel Safar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dorcasina is a wealthy woman who reads many novels. Her reading habit has caused her to have an unrealistic expectation about romance and marriage. When a young man is hired as a servant in her home, she convinces herself that he is a gentleman in disguise and makes plans to marry him. When her friends, the Stanlys, find out, they put together a plan to get her away from this undesirable match.

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. The characters were over the top and hilarious. Tenney clearly wrote this in satire of the expectations for women at that time period. The style of writing reflects the time, as there was hardly any imagery, however, which I would have liked, but overall the story is well done. The only struggle I had was the version I had, there were very few paragraph breaks, and made it hard to tell who was talking at times. Overall, very entertaining.

[bookworms.paradise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very repetitive and boring at some points, but definitely had an interesting narrative and underlying meaning to it. I only read this because it was assigned to my EN 452 class. I'm so glad novels have evolved into much better stories than what novelist used to write.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the surface, one can easily overlook the literary merit of this absurd comedy from Tabitha Tenney. Most readers have never even heard of this novel, and those who have read it were probably convinced of the author's benign intentions. On the surface Female Quixotism appears to be yet another work stemming from the politically and socially motivated "proscriptive movement," which condemned novels for their corrupting influence in the new American Republic. However, the overt moral tone of the author conceals her more subversive ideology. In a strikingly post-modern and self-referential turn, Tenney condemns novels outright, even as she consciously crafts an entertaining novel of her own, replete with violence, fornication and foul language. She disarms her audience by creating a protagonist who appears nearly insane after indulging too frequently in the reading of romance novels. However, by consciously juxtaposing Dorcasina's interpretations of the world with those of more insightful "readers," this novel essentially becomes a lesson in how to critically read and interpret a text. Tenney provides her readers with opportunities to engage with the text, and to draw conclusions on their own, undermining the intentions of the proscriptive movement. Because this novel is a parody of other works of romance, the language is melodramatic and antiquated, and although there are plenty of humorous situations, it is the kind of humor which one would have found funny two hundred years ago and not so much in the 21st century. Also, the author employs post-modern techniques such as confusing the author and the implied author, as well as the novel-within-the-novel.

[William Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read 2025.

I’ll admit to a bit bias here—I teach American lit and also published an academic article on this novel in particular—but I’d like to think, either way, I would appreciate how hilarious, poignant, and empowering this novel is. And funny for real, not “funny if you squint and adjust your meter for the 18th century” 🤣🔥.

Dorcasina is viewed by almost everyone around her as deluded, but she gets her way usually, has fun, and survives single, wealthy, and unhampered. And, even though the novel ends with a didactic epiphany scene standard for the genre and period (here, “I see the error of my ways, novels misled me about the world and led to foolish courtships” etc), Dorcasina KEEPS READING NOVELS. A total undercutting of the supposedly serious didactic message.

Boom!

There are some laughs at her expense, true, but it’s interesting to think back to how the preface complicates later moments where the narrator seems to be cruel to her. The preface is signed by a “Compiler” who heard Dorcasina’s story. What if that person is Dorcasina herself? At the very least, there’s a suggestion of her own voice somewhere here, indirectly or directly.

This one is subversive AF, in complicated ways I’m still thinking about.

[Dana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Even though I know this book was limited by the time in which it was written and the opinion of women who read novels at that time, this book sort of sucked. It's the epitome of a ridiculously romantic woman (i.e. bored out of her mind) who is duped into believing she has a secret admirer who only intends to do her harm and make her look like a fool. Then, along the way, at every opportunity to learn something about herself or the world, she fails miserably. It's hard to believe it was written by a woman, and though I'd like to believe she meant to satirize the tradition of early American woman being brought to ruin by the evil vice of reading, she didn't present that in this book. I don't think Dorcasina actually dies in the end (surprisingly--it's been years since I've read it though, so I could be wrong), but if you actually make it to the end, you kind of wish she would so you can just be done with it.

[Zoe · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story of Dorcasina is funny at first since she is always finding romance in men when the men are only interested in her for her wealth. However, after the fourth misunderstanding on her part in which she believes she has found 'true love' in a man who is duping her, the excitement and hilarity has died down and tampered into annoyance.

A book that I would actually enjoy if not for the repetitive plot twists.

Would recommend 5/10.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This particular story is hilarious. Having been written in a time where authors had to defend the art of the novel, and of novel reading, as well as creating an American identity in literature, this book is one of the top novels to read. The message is clear, the main character pitiable, and the plot is exciting!

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the most entertaining (and funniest) early American novels, and a great contribution to post-Quixotic literature (see also Charlotte Lennox’s The Female Quixote, Richard Graves’ The Spiritual Quixote, etc).

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in college and it's still on my book shelf, so I must have enjoyed it.

[Lisa]

Female Quixotism: Exhibited in the Romantic Opinions and Extravagant Adventures of Dorcasina Sheldon (Early American Women Writers) by Tabitha Gilman Tenney (1992)

[Christian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can I give this a half-star? Suffice it to say that I don't recommend this book.

[Chrisanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A morality tale about reading novels. Actually quite relevant in some ways. And very ironic. #MAthesis