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A realistic view of the American experience: re-evaluating Fanny Fern's Ruth Hall

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Identifier	Thesis 2165
Author	LeBel, Sheryl Anne,1982-
Title	A realistic view of the American experience: re-evaluating Fanny Fern's Ruth Hall
Publisher	Central Connecticut State University
Date	2011; *
Resource Type	Master's Thesis
Notes	My purpose in investigating mid-nineteenth century sentimental fiction is to discuss common issues and themes and delineate the many differences found within this literature in order to more closely examine the ways in which Fanny Fern's novel Ruth Hall (1855) is both a product of and a comment upon the restrictions placed on women during this time period. Doing so exemplifies Fern's attempt to construct a cultural identity for American women as her realistic view of the American “female” experience comments upon the gender restrictions of the time and accentuates the cultural implications of her work. Many elements of Fern's novel deviate from the typical sentimental format and these elements make her novel stand apart from other popular sentimental fiction of the time, such as Susan Warner's The Wide, Wide World (1850) and Maria Cummins' The Lamplighter (1854). Fern challenges the cultural norms of American society as she deviates from the conventional code of the True Woman by redefining the roles and abilities of women, extending them beyond the confines of the home. Through the experiences of her heroine, she exposes the ills of American society, the evils of female dependence, and women's ability to enter the workforce and find success and financial independence. Ruth Hall depicts the virtues dictated by the cult of domesticity as detrimental to women, and places greater emphasis on qualities encouraged by American transcendentalists. In attempting to publicly extricate herself and her heroine Ruth from the female virtues that imprisoned women to the private sphere, Fern encouraged determination and self-reliance as a way to free themselves from the limitations imposed on them by the patriarchal society in which they lived. Fern's writing style allowed her the freedom to present radical views of American society and culture veiled behind the sentimental format. Elements of her writing such as irony, sarcasm, and satire, paired with her fragmented chapters, shifts in narrative tone, and use of dialogue, illustrate her experimentation with the structure of the novel itself. In creating a novel that subverts the typical format of sentimental fiction while at the same time following some of the basic configurations of the woman's novel, Ruth Hall exemplifies the many advancements that were beginning to take place within woman's fiction and was essentially clearing the path for future women writers. Fern's novel takes on many topics, including the American experience, the American literary experience, and the quest for financial independence, which were all undermined having come from a woman's novel. Yet despite these obstacles, Fern was able to create a novel that validated the female experience and illustrated women's ability to strengthen the national identity. Her novel transcends the gender restrictions of the time while giving voice to the ideals and experiences of American life, focusing specifically on the female experience.
Subject	Fern, Fanny, 1811-1872. Ruth Hall
Department	Department of English
Advisor	Dunne, Robert, 1964-
Type	Text
Digital Format	application/pdf
Language	eng
OCLC number	804653142
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A realistic view of the American experience: re-evaluating Fanny Fern's Ruth Hall

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