The Coquette

The Coquette 

• Genre: Fiction; epistolary novel; early American literature 
• Originally Published: 1797 
• Reading Level/Interest: Grades 9-12; college/adult 
• Structure/Length: Divided into 74 letters; approximately 192 pages; approximately 6 hours, 52 minutes on audiobook 
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The protagonist, Eliza Wharton, is a young woman caught between the affections of two men: Reverend Mr. Boyer, who offers her a stable, societal-approved match, and Major Sanford, a charming but unreliable suitor. The novel is set in post-Revolutionary America and explores themes of female autonomy, societal expectations, and the repercussions of personal choice.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes of social and sexual autonomy, moral judgment, and societal pressure; mentions the deaths of several young children; ends with the tragic death of the protagonist

Hannah Webster Foster, Author 

• Bio: Born in 1758; died in 1840; American novelist; known for her contributions to early American literature, particularly for writing one of the United States’ first novels; Foster’s work provides critical insights into the social and gender dynamics of her time, exploring 18th-century constraints on women
• Other Works: The Boarding School (1798) 

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Virginity
• Republican Womanhood, Wifehood, and Motherhood
• Guilt and Illness

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Explore background information on seduction stories and the epistolary form to increase their engagement with and understanding of The Coquette.
• Read/study short paired texts and other resources to deepen their understanding of themes related to Virginity; Republican Womanhood, Wifehood, and Motherhood; and Guilt and Illness.
• Demonstrate their understanding of the epistolary form, the characterization of Eliza, and the plot of The Coquette by creating a contemporary version of the story using social media posts and other electronic forms of communication.
• Analyze the significance of various elements of the text, such as allusion, form, structure, perspective, plot detail, characterization, symbolism, and dramatic irony, and construct essay responses tying these to the text’s meaning.