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Aphra Behn and Susanna Centlivre: a Materialist- Feminist Study

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Aphra Behn and Susanna Centlivre: a Materialist- Feminist Study Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1995 Aphra Behn and Susanna Centlivre: A Materialist- Feminist Study. Amy Margaret Atchley Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Atchley, Amy Margaret, "Aphra Behn and Susanna Centlivre: A Materialist-Feminist Study." (1995). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 5940. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/5940 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from themicrofilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor. Ml 48106*1346 USA 313.-761-4700 800/521-0600 APHRA BEHN AND SUSANNA CENTLIVRE: A MATERIALIST-FEMINIST STUDY A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Theatre by Amy M. Atchley B.A., Louisiana Tech University, 1979 M.A., Louisiana Tech University, 1982 May 1995 UMI Number: 9538720 UMI Microform 9538720 Copyright 1995, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 DEDICATION This work is dedicated to the memory of my parents, Charles Edward Atchley, Jr., and Peggy Appel Atchley, whose love and sacrifice over the years enabled me to realize many dreams and continue to do so today. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS An undertaking of this kind is not done in a vacuum. Over the years, many people have contributed not only to the evolution of this work but also to my own development as a teacher and scholar. One such was Dr. Kathryn Robinson, who introduced me to Theatre, instilled in me a passion for it almost as great as her own, and gave me a solid foundation in it on which to build. I am also indebted to all my teachers at Louisiana State University whose considerable knowledge and expertise added immeasurably to my intellectual growth, especially Dr. Elsie Michie, whose Women's Studies courses added feminist theory to my critical arsenal. I would like to extend a special thanks as well to Dr. Gresdna Doty, whose encyclopedic knowledge of Theatre and extraordinary skill as a scholar enriched my understanding and enhanced my own raw potential as a writer. And, of course, a very special thanks goes to Dr. Bill J. Harbin. Not only did his classes give me a solid grounding in literary theory and a new appreciation of important playwrights throughout history, but his direction of this dissertation has been exemplary. He has unfailingly responded in a timely manner with incisive criticism that has only improved this document. I also very much appreciate Dr. Harbin's forbearance and understanding when there were delays in the progress of this work. I have been blessed not only with the best educators, but also with the best friends. Truly this undertaking was only possible "with a little help from my friends," as the old Beatles classic goes. I am indebted to my colleagues at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College for the interest they've taken in my work and their moral support, especially our Division Chair, Dr. Lew Akin, who has been very accommodating in arranging my class schedules. I am also grateful to Ms. Amy Burt, who has tried to lighten my load, as well as lent her discerning eye to this work. A special thanks goes to Dr. Charlotte Pfeiffer and her husband, Pete, who lugged me and a computer to Hilton Head, South Carolina, and helped me get the fourth chapter on the computer. Not only did Charlotte take me back there to work on the last chapter, but she also typed the notes for several chapters and helped me edit the last two. All of this in addition to being one of the best friends I've ever had. Another person whose friendship has always been invaluable, but never more so than these last few years, is Dr. Ray Scott Crawford, who gets the medal for "Service Above and Beyond the Call of Duty." Ray Scott singlehandedly dragged me kicking and screaming into the twentieth century by giving me a computer and helping me learn how to use "Hal." Many thanks go to him for his incredible patience and indispensable aid when he'd get an hysterical call from me. But I am indebted most of all to my family, my sister Charlyn and her husband, Marcus Pittman, whose unflagging love and support got me through the dark years. Anything I may achieve can be attributed to their unselfish gift of their time and themselves. I am particularly grateful to Charlyn for her efforts to help me get the first two chapters on the computer, but, more TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ACKNOWLEDGMENTS i i i ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................vi CHAPTER 1 "RESTORING" THE RESTORATION AND BEYOND . 1 N o t e s ...........................................................................................19 2 A "PARADISE FOR W O M EN"?..............................................21 Themes and Conventions ......................................... 31 S u m m ary.....................................................................................58 N o t e s ..........................................................................................63 3 MEN, WOMEN AND M ORALITY..............................................66 Gender Construction ................................................... 66 Portrayal of the Same Character Types . 85 M o r a l i t y ..............................................................................101 S u m m ary...................................................................................106 N o t e s ........................................................................................114 4 FROM OBSCURITY TO INFAMY AND BACK AGAIN 115 The "harlot" ....................................................................116 The "Cook's W ife" ......................................................... 151 S u m m ary...................................................................................193 N o t e s ........................................................................................196 5 RESTORATION AND REVOLUTION ................................ 205 Charles II (r. 1660-1685) .............................. 206 James II (r. 1685-1688).................................... 225 William III (r. 1689-1702).......................... 231 Anne (r. 1702-1714).............................................. 258 George I (r. 1714-1727).................................... 287 S u m m ary ...................................................................................301 N o t e s ........................................................................................305 6 CONCLUSION: "HERSTORY" .................................... 316 REFERENCES.......................................................................................................341 VITA ......................................................................................................................344 v ABSTRACT Only with the fairly recent advent of Women's Studies have attempts been made to rediscover neglected works by female authors. This dissertation examines the works of English playwrights Aphra Behn (1640-1689) and Susanna Centlivre (1669- 1723) and the uniquely female perception of the Restoration and early eighteenth century they have left us. Both women wrote intrigue comedies, among other genres, within a generation of each other. Each made arranged marriage for profit and the suffering it caused women the primary object of her criticism and satire. But while the women shared a sex, nationality and vocation, not to mention a preoccupation with the rights of women, there are significant differences in the way each handled
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