The Proper Lady and the Woman Writer
1985
The book examines how the cultural ideal of the "proper lady" in English society influenced and constrained women writers, analyzing the tension between prescribed feminine roles and women's literary expression. Poovey explores how this social construct shaped both the content and reception of women's writing in English literature.
Criticism and interpretationEnglish Didactic literatureEnglish literatureHistoryHistory and criticismSex role in literatureSocial ethics in literatureWomen and literature