Whats The Importance Of Establishing An American Identity In The Coquette

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American Literature from its beginnings is shaped by a demand towards reforming society by bringing awareness towards issues and a need to question societal norms. The new world introduced to the world a new society based upon enlightened principles. The introduction of a new society brought forth the questions of what are the defining characteristics of this culture, and also presented social issues unique to an even more unique society. American literature from its beginnings has focused around establishing the American identity, and has also served as a means to address social issues that have plagues American society. The three authors that are representative of these ideals are the following; Hector De St John Crevecoeur, Benjamin Franklin, …show more content…

The issue of women’s rights as well as their place in society is brought into question in Hannah Foster’s The Coquette. By using the form of a seduction novel, Foster questions women’s role in society by focusing the novel around the seduction of an affluent man of society with the character who fits the description of a coquette. This novel then shows the pressure of young women, and how they are subject to social entrapment. Fosters also provides insight into the fact that many young women are used simply for sexual pleasure, and are then abandoned. This novel was pivotal in its impact on society because Foster offers a unique perspective, and also questions the institution of marriage as well as women’s role in society. The observations made by Foster of American society are similar to Crevecoeur in the sense that they both remark about issues of corruption in American, and they also write epistolary novels that beckon for social change. The formation of the new world in literature was a forum for debating the concepts of freedom and humanity, and argued for the rights for equal rights while demonstrating the experiences of those who are not given equal rights. This epistolary novel confronts these issues, and also shows how this process changes the character’s behavior and

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