The Coquette And The Boarding School Analysis

After reading the novel “The Coquette and The Boarding School,” I was intrigued in a certain passage written in the novel. Mr. Shelby, Mr. Boyer’s friend writes to him saying “I am quite convert to Pope’s assertion….the result of her education.” (Foster 78) Throughout the novel Mr. Shelby gives Mr. Boyer advice on what to do with his current situation involving his love interest, Eliza Wharton. In this passage Mr. Shelby agrees with the pope’s opinion that “Every woman, is at hear, a rake.” (Foster 78) After the first time reading this I did not know what to think that such a religious icon would say that every women despite their behavior has whorish tendencies. By the pope declaring this statement men have a stereotype on what every women’s

Shelby really wanted to prove a point to Mr. Boyer about the actions he witnessed Eliza commit. Mr. Shelby talks about Eliza in a good perspective saying that she is a very cheerful and good humored person. However, Mr. Shelby also talks about how Eliza seems to be seeking sexual pleasures from Major Sanford at the ball they attended. Following that statement Mr. Shelby comments that Eliza almost sounds like she is a tramp committing sexual acts to make a profit. The reason why Mr. Shelby starts off this sentence saying how Eliza is virtuous is because he wants to warn Mr. Boyer that even though she has high morals she can fall a victim to these customs. This statement goes back to the double standard that society has on woman, because if Mr. Shelby was describing a man he would look like a victim in the case. However, since Eliza is the victim in this case scenario she is considered a coquette for these actions which are unfair because they are based on what her gender is. This sentence targets the moral aspect of women in the 18th century. Mr. Shelby writes about the things women should not be doing behind closed doors especially when getting married was the primary goal for women during this

I remember I was taught about Aristotle’s views on women which is very similar to how Eliza was treated throughout the novel. Aristotle thought that women were subjects to men, however, Aristotle believed that they were higher in the ranks than slaves. Eliza was treated practically like a slave in the novel and this passage shows her others thought of her. Mr. Shelby writes “How else shall we account for the existence of this disposition, in your favorite fair? It cannot be the result of her education.” (Foster 78) in this sentence Mr. Shelby questions how they are going to treat Eliza due to her coquette tendencies. Which is something that can be concerning since they view her tendencies as a crime in their eye; or so they portrayed. In reality Eliza’s tendencies would not be looked down upon because of her gender. However, because women were looked down on during this time Aristotle’s views on women becomes accurate since during this time women were looked at as subjects to men with few