Education, Social Class and Self-Interest in Rebecca Rushs Novel Kelroy :: Rebecca Rush Kelroy Essays

Education, Social Class and Self-Interest in Rebecca Rushs brisk Kelroy Kelroy, by Rebecca Rush, was first published in 1812. Early American writers had a rough time writing gothic style writings because of the miss of history, which was not a problem faced by European writers. Kelroy is an highly cynical view of American life and it was not well received by Americans, despite the fact that it is seen as one of the best indite novels in America before 1820(231). Three themes from Kelroy, which demonstrate the focus of many a(prenominal) early Americans, are Education, Social Class, and Self-Interest. Education was beginning to become extremely important in the early 1800s, especially for women. Reading habits of the characters was often show in literary works of this time period because it was an important come to the fore that was being faced. For example, in Kelroy, Mrs. Hammond applied herself sedulously to the education of her daughters, and engaged a person to reside with them in quality of governess, who was, in her estimation, fully decorous to the task, since to a variety of accomplishments, she enjoyed an infinity of that species of self-important pride, which teaches its owner instinctively to toss away the approaches of the vulgar. She also had masters from the city, to attend them at stated times so uniting in her plan, to real benefit, an air of lofty superiority(4-5). However, Mrs. Hammonds need behind educating her daughters was not necessarily for their benefit, but her own. The appearance of being commensurate to afford educating her daughters, which would lead others to believe that she was wealthy (and many did believe) was a light upon motivator for Mrs. Hammond. The ability to read was possessed by many women in the 1800s, but writing was not as common, which meant that Mrs. Hammonds daughters, as well as Mrs. Hammond, would have been considered better educated that most women because they could read and write. In pedigree with the Hammond girls, we have Maria, from Royall Tylers The Contrast, who reads the dreaded romantic novels, which is not considered to be a kick upstairs pastime. Speaking of Maria, Letitia says, Why she read Sir Charles Grandison, Clarissa Harlowe, Shenstone, and the Sentimental Journey, and between whiles, as I said, Billys letters. But as her taste improved, her love declined(1151).