Catharine Maria Sedgwick was an American novelist who wrote, what is sometimes referred to as “domestic fiction”. She promoted Republican motherhood and was a well-known feminist. Sedgwick’s most famous novel, Hope Leslie, written in 1827, recounted a dramatic conflict between the British, colonists, and Native Americans. “The book is considered significant because of its strong feminist overtones and ideas of equity and fairness toward Native Americans, both of which were rare at the time the book was written. The book is a historical romance, set mostly in 1643. A number of historical figures appear, including Puritan leader John Winthrop, Puritan heretic Samuel Gorton, and the Pequot Indian Mononotto.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_Leslie)
The novel became a great success and established the author’s reputation in both Great Brittain and the United States. Sedgwick used many techniques in Hope Leslie such as “New Criticism” of the 1950s. Hope Leslie is a book that challenges the role of women during the colonial period. “Sedgwick portrays Leslie as living in a hostile world, where as a woman, she creates a holistic public role that is not separate from the private sphere. Sedgwick regularly uses the rhetoric of “sameness” when comparing Leslie and the main male character, Everell.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharine_Sedgwick)
In Hope Leslie, there are many different races present. The two main ones are Native Americans and whites. In the book, a love story emerges between both races, which causes an interacial marriage. This was highly looked down on during the time Hope Leslie was written. This caused the book to become a nation wide topic to discuss.
(https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Hope+Leslie&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.44770516,d.eWU&biw=1366&bih=673&wrapid=tlif136547520556310&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&authuser=0&ei=ly1iUaKmNpTk8gTT_oCwDw#um=1&hl=en&authuser=0&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=INdians&oq=INdians&gs_l=img.3..0l10.53723.56152.2.56341.7.7.0.0.0.0.176.713.3j4.7.0…0.0…1c.1.8.img.fek1QJNg3s8&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.44770516,d.eWU&fp=ea60ec3b9993073&biw=1366&bih=673)
Not only were different races present, but also different genders. During the era of Hope Leslie, Puritan women were not seen as equal to men. They were often referred to as “powerless and unheard”. In male written literature of this period, women lacked the due credit that they should have received. Women were looked upon as the back bone of the family. They were only allowed to tend to the “home life” as well as the family and children. Sedgwick challenges the role of women in Hope Leslie based on her expressive writing of how the woman should be treated equally. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_Leslie)
Hope Leslie surfaces amidst a time of conflict, rivalry, and hatred; however, the story tells a deeper meaning of love, honor, and trust despite the era of negativity. The story also positively promotes the rights of women in a time when women had no rights by giving them the ability to state opinions without the fear of criticism and punishment. Sedgwick will be forever known as a fantastic author who fought for what she believed in, which was gender equality.
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