Amy Levy Research Paper

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As one of the best authors during the Victorian Period, Amy Levy had a unique and hard life that influenced her works. The works of Amy Levy were influenced by her religion, feminism, her loved ones, and her illness. Amy Levy was born in Lambeth district of London on November 10, 1861. She was the child of Isabel and Lewis Levy, who recognize themselves as English Jews, Jewish descendants with English culture and values (Hetherington 27). Her parents valued the education of their daughters more than of their sons; therefore, Levy received very well education in London (Shires 151). She went to Brighton High school for Girls in 1876 and Newnham College of Cambridge University in 1879 as the second Jewish woman (Beckman). The friends she …show more content…

She attended Brighton High School, which was founded by feminists Emily and Maria Shirreff. Then she attended Newnham College, which was one of the two women colleges in Cambridge University (Firger). These schools created an environment that contributes to her feminism. There she met many of her feminist friends such as Dorothy Blomfield. Her feministic views were shown in her works such as “Xantippe”, “Magdalen”, “A Ballad of Religion and Marriage”, and The Romance of a Shop, “The Poetry of Christina Rossetti”, and “Women and Club Life” (Hetherington …show more content…

In the novel, four sisters earned money by opening a photography shop when their father died and refused to live off of their relatives (Beckman). This novel showed Levy’s feminist views in despite of the society’s belief during the Victorian Period. In “The Poetry of Christina Rossetti” and “Women and Club Life”, Levy demonstrated the importance of women’s clubs as spaces for women in London to meet and not be disturbed by domestic work. Levy also joined club and organizations such as Karl Pearson’s discussion club and First Ladies’ Literary Dinner to meet with other intellectuals and to celebrate the achievement of women writers (Hetherington

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