Author: Hannah Webster Foster

Hannah Webster Foster (1758–1840) was an early American novelist whose work provides a window into the lives of women during the late eighteenth century. Born in Salisbury, Massachusetts, Foster enjoyed the benefits of an education that was unusual for women of her time, and it is believed that she was schooled at home. She married the Reverend John Foster in 1785, with whom she would have six children. Known primarily for her first novel “The Coquette; or, The History of Eliza Wharton” (1797), a tale that was both a seduction novel and a cautionary tale, which achieved significant popularity and went through multiple editions. Foster utilized a thinly veiled narrative to criticize the limited options available to women and exposed the consequences of societal pressures. Her lesser-known work, “The Boarding School; or, Lessons of a Preceptress to Her Pupils” (1798), further explored female education and propriety, illustrating her commitment to the themes of female agency and moral instruction. Foster”s literary style is marked by the epistolary form, moral didacticism, and a subtle critique of contemporary gender roles. While not as prolific as some of her contemporaries, Foster”s contributions to American literature are significant for their early feminist themes and insight into post-Revolutionary War society in New England. Her works remain subjects of analysis for scholars interested in the evolution of American women”s literature and the socio-cultural dynamics of the early American Republic (Davidson, Cathy N., “Revolution and the Word: The Rise of the Novel in America”, Oxford University Press, 1986; Kelley, Mary, “Private Woman, Public Stage: Literary Domesticity in Nineteenth-Century America”, Oxford University Press, 1984).