Women and Property in the Eighteenth-Century English Novel - Women’s selfhood and property

Sep 27, 2026

Women and property in the eighteenth-century English novel examines how women mattered to period debates about property through fiction. April London traces competing interpretations of the relation between women and property, from claims of equivalence between women and things to accounts of self-possession for those denied full civic status. Two models for defining selfhood—classical republicanism and bourgeois individualism, alongside pastoral and georgic literary paradigms—frame readings of both canonical and lesser-known writers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages274

Reading Time7 h 2 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Clarissa and the georgic mode

Making meaning as constructive labor

Wicked confederacies

"The work of bodies": reading, writing, and documents

The Man of Feeling

Colonial narratives: Charles Wentworth and The Female American

Versions of community: William Dodd, Sarah Scott, Clara Reeve

Confederacies of women: Phebe Gibbes and John Trusler

The discourse of manliness: Samuel Jackson Pratt and Robert Bage

The gendering of radical representation

History, romance, and the anti-Jacobins' "common sense"

Jane West and the politics of reading

Epilogue

Notes

Bibliography

Index

This page intentionally left blank WOMEN AND PROPERTY IN THE EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY ENGLISH NOVEL This book investigates the critical importance of women to the eighteenth-century debate on property as conducted in the ﬁction of the period. April London argues that contemporary novels advanced several, often conﬂicting, interpretations of the relation of women to property, ranging from straightforward assertions of equivalence between women and things to subtle explorations of the self-possession open to those denied a full civic identity. Two contemporary models for the deﬁning of selfhood through reference to property structure the book, one historical (classical republicanism and bourgeois individualism), and the other literary (pastoral and georgic) . These paradigms oﬀer a cultural context for the analysis of both canonical and less well-known writers, from Samuel Richardson and Henry Mackenzie to Clara Reeve and Jane West. While this study focuses on ﬁction from 􀀄􀀅􀀆􀀇 to 􀀄􀀈􀀇􀀇, it also draws on the historiography, literary criticism, and philosophy of the period, and on recent feminist and cultural studies. A􀀉􀀊 􀀋􀀌 L􀀍􀀎 􀀏􀀍 􀀎 is Associate Professor of English at the University of Ottawa. She has written widely on eighteenth-century ﬁction in journals and in essay collections. This is her ﬁrst full-length book. WOMEN AND PROPERTY IN THE EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY ENGLISH NOVEL APRIL LONDON 􀀁􀀂􀀃􀀄􀀅􀀆􀀇􀀈􀀉 􀀃􀀋 􀀌􀀇􀀈 􀀁􀀍􀀈􀀆􀀆 􀀆􀀋􀀎􀀉􀀅􀀏􀀐􀀌􀀈 􀀑􀀒 􀀌􀀇􀀈 􀀂􀀎􀀅􀀓􀀈􀀍􀀆􀀅􀀌􀀋 􀀑􀀒 􀀏􀀐􀀔􀀃􀀍􀀅􀀉􀀕􀀈 The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom 􀀏􀀐􀀔􀀃􀀍􀀅􀀉􀀕􀀈 􀀂􀀎􀀅􀀓􀀈􀀍􀀆􀀅􀀌􀀋 􀀁􀀍􀀈􀀆􀀆 The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA 477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia Ruiz de Alarcón 13, 28014 Madrid, Spain Dock House, The Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa [http://www.cambridge.org](http://www.cambridge.org) © April London 2004 First published in printed format 1999 ISBN 0-511-03678-7 eBook (Adobe Reader) ISBN 0-521-65013-5 hardback To my parents Contents Acknowledgements page ix Introduction 􀀄 􀀉􀀘􀀊􀀖 􀀋 􀀒􀀘􀀛􀀐􀀔􀀌 􀀊􀀋􀀗􀀓􀀘􀀊􀀏􀀒􀀍􀀎 􀀘􀀎􀀏 􀀜􀀔􀀍􀀊􀀜􀀋􀀗 Introduction 􀀄􀀡 􀀄 Clarissa and the georgic mode 􀀄􀀅 􀀝 Making meaning as constructive labor 􀀝􀀈 􀀞 Wicked confederacies 􀀞􀀠 􀀆 ‘‘The work of bodies’’: reading, writing, and documents 􀀆􀀡 􀀉􀀘􀀊􀀖 􀀋􀀋 􀀉􀀘􀀒􀀖􀀍􀀊􀀘􀀌 Introduction 􀀟􀀡 􀀡 The Man of Feeling 􀀟􀀅 􀀟 Colonial narratives: Charles Wentworth and The Female American 􀀈􀀟 􀀉􀀘􀀊􀀖 􀀋􀀋􀀋 􀀗􀀍􀀛􀀛􀀐􀀎􀀋􀀖􀀕 􀀘􀀎􀀏 􀀗􀀍􀀎􀀙􀀔􀀏􀀔􀀊􀀘􀀗􀀕 Introduction 􀀄􀀇􀀡 􀀅 Versions of community: William Dodd, Sarah Scott, Clara Reeve 􀀄􀀇􀀅 􀀈 Confederacies of women: Phebe Gibbes and John Trusler 􀀄􀀝􀀆 Contents xiii 􀀉 􀀘 􀀊􀀖 􀀋􀀚 􀀖􀀓 􀀔 􀀉 􀀍 􀀌 􀀋􀀖􀀋􀀗􀀒 􀀍 􀀙 􀀊􀀔􀀘􀀏􀀋􀀎􀀜 Introduction 􀀄􀀞􀀠 􀀠 The discourse of manliness: Samuel Jackson Pratt and Robert Bage 􀀄􀀆􀀄 􀀄􀀇 The gendering of radical representation 􀀄􀀡􀀆 􀀄􀀄 History, romance, and the anti-Jacobins’‘‘common sense’’ 􀀄􀀟􀀠 􀀄􀀝 Jane West and the politics of reading 􀀄􀀈􀀡 Epilogue 􀀝􀀇􀀝 Notes 􀀝􀀇􀀟 Bibliography 􀀝􀀆􀀝 Index 􀀝􀀡􀀈

FAQs

How does the book connect women with property debates in the eighteenth century?

It investigates how contemporary novels advanced interpretations of women’s relation to property, ranging from equivalence claims to subtler accounts of self-possession and civic exclusion.

What two models structure the book’s analysis of selfhood?

One is historical—classical republicanism and bourgeois individualism—and the other is literary—pastoral and georgic modes.

Which authors does the book consider when analyzing women, property, and selfhood?

It reads a range of writers including Samuel Richardson, Henry Mackenzie, Clara Reeve, and Jane West, alongside other less well-known authors.

Sep 27, 2026

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