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The Coquette Hannah Foster's Concept Of Love

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The Coquette was written by Hannah Foster in 1797 as an account of the life of Elizabeth Whitman. Elizabeth is portrayed in the novel by Eliza, a young woman who recently experienced the death of her betrothed husband. Through her newly-found freedom, Eliza is determined not to settle for a suiter but to enjoy the happiness of being single. In Eliza’s mind, common marriage was not defined by love. So, what was her concept of love? She believed love was consisted of a combination of feelings of friendship, compassion, and attraction that could not be obtained in a formal union with another person.
Eliza was to marry a man chosen by her parents and admits that she never loved him. “I believe that I never felt the passion of love for Mr. Haly.” (Foster, Letter I) She was forced by submissiveness to enter a marriage with a man that her parents determined was a best fit for her. This experience provided Eliza with the presumption that true unequivocal love found in a marriage was rare. This was the type of love she observed in The Richman’s marriage. “The purest and most ardent affection, the greatest consonance of taste and disposition, and the most congenial virtue and wishes distinguish this lovely couple.” (Foster, Letter VI) Instead she …show more content…

Two gentlemen callers fancied her, Mr. Boyer an educated descendant from a worthy family and Major Sanford who was known for lacking virtue and being versed in seduction. Neither men contained all the qualities that conceptualized enough of Eliza’s idea of love to convince her to settle down. Eliza proclaimed, “I recoil at the thought of immediately forming a connection, which must confine me to the duties of domestic life, and make me dependent for happiness.” (Foster, Letter XIV) Ultimately her apprehension of marriage and the lack of happiness she assumed it would bring, left her miserable and alone with both her potential suitors united with

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