23rd Annual Student Research Conference
Cooper's Great Failure: A Historical and Literary Comparison of Eve Effingham and Josephine March
Monica J. Morrey
Dr. Bob Mielke, Faculty Mentor
Although James Fenimore Cooper's Eve Effingham, in his novel Home as Found, fits the 19th century traditional view of woman as the angel in the house, she was also independent in her interactions with society, seen through her intellectual nature as well as a self-confidence that allowed her to go into society without the accompaniment of a male. With further evaluation and comparison, it is possible to conclude that Home as Found was not a successful novel because of Cooper's failure to wed these two strikingly different attributes in Eve. Cooper failed to create a reader friendly heroine, for Eve is loveable but--despite all of her potential--fake. It is possible to reach this conclusion by studying 19th century feminism, as well as comparing Cooper's Eve to the fictional character Josephine March of Louisa Alcott's Little Women which has been, unlike Home as Found, prolifically popular throughout history.
Keywords: James Fenimore Cooper, Louisa May Alcott, Feminism
Topic(s):English
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 63-1
Location: VH 1432
Time: 2:45