Other People's Daughters: The Life And Times Of The Governess - Rilegato

Brandon, Ruth

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0297851136 ISBN 13: 9780297851134

Casa editrice: Orion, 2008

Riassunto

If a nineteenth century lady had neither a husband to support her nor money of her own, almost her only recourse was to live in someone else's household and educate their children - in particular, their daughters.
Marooned within the confines of other people's lives, neither servants nor family members, governesses occupied an uncomfortable social limbo. And being poor and insignificant, their papers were mostly lost, so that most of what we know about this strange and unsatisfactory life comes either from novels, like Jane Eyre or Vanity Fair, or from fleeting glimpses in other people's memoirs. But a few journals and letters have come down to us, giving a vivid record of what it was to be a lone professional woman at a time when such a creature officially did not exist. Other People's Daughters looks at these lives, some famous, like the Brontës, or Anna Leonowens, whose memoirs inspired The King and I, some quite unknown, their papers surfacing by the merest chance.
Beginning with Mary Wollstonecraft's realization, in the heady days following the French revolution, that only equal education could ensure true equality for women, Other People's Daughters shows how the governess, who could be relied on to teach only the little she had herself been permitted to learn, was an essential part of that dream's collapse. It ends with the foundation of Girton College, Cambridge, the first women's university college: the beginning of the end for the governess, and the first step on the road to realizing Wollstonecraft's dream.

Su questo libro

Recensione:

'Ruth Brandon's book addresses a remarkably interesting subject, exploring the real-life experiences that supplied so rich a vein of literature'. (Philip Hensher THE SPECTATOR)

engrossing (LITERARY REVIEW)

This fascinating history paints a vivid picture, from Mary Wollstonecraft and the Brontës to Anna Leonowens (the inspiration for The King and I). (SAINSBURY'S MAGAZINE)

a rich and fascinating account of the lives lived by governesses as well as an exploration of Victorian attitudes to women, family and class. (BEST OF BRITISH)

beautifully told, effortlessly thoughtful study (Frances Wilson THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH)

The accounts of these women's lives are riveting, and the conclusions of this excellent book thoughtful and beautifully expressed. (Salley Vickers INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY)

a well-researched and enjoyable account of women who have hitherto been too lightly considered. (FAMILY HISTORY MONTHLY)

Other People's Daughters uncovers some fascinating accounts of women compelled to support themselves in a society which viewed their activities with suspicion... compelling (TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT)

fascinating... richly enjoyable - and a killer weapon for use on anyone who can't see why feminism was ever necessary. (THE OLDIE)

a fascinating portrayal of both the rather depressing life of a governess and the overall Victorian attitude towards women and education. (THE FIELD)

Descrizione del libro:

This is a rich and fascinating account of the lives of those whose suppressed fury, romantic daydreams and intellectual frustration provide a unique prism through which Ruth Brandon explores Victorian attitudes to women, family and class.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Orion
• Data di pubblicazione: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0297851136
• ISBN 13: 9780297851134
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero edizione: 1
• Numero di pagine: 320