Spinster Tales and Womanly Possibilities

Naomi Braun Rosenthal

Description

The spinster, once a ubiquitous figure in American popular culture, has all but vanished from the scene. Intrigued by the fact that her disappearance seems to have gone unnoticed, Naomi Braun Rosenthal traces the spinster's life and demise by using stories from the Ladies' Home Journal (from 1890, 1913, and 1933), along with Hollywood films from the 1940s and 1950s, such as It's a Wonderful Life; Now, Voyager; and Summertime, among others. Originally invoked as a symbol of female independence a hundred years ago, when marriage and career were considered to be incompatible choices for women, spinsterhood was advocated as an alternate path by some and viewed as a threat to family life by others. Today, there are few traces of the spinster's existence—the options open to women have dramatically changed—but we continue to grapple with concerns about women's desires and "the future of the family."

Preface

1. The Persistent Spinster

2. "Bossed by a Woman"

3. An E/Man/Cipated Woman

4. "She Has Deliberately Shut the Door of Opportunity"

5. A Debatable Figure

6. "A Lady Scholar?"

7. Sex and the Single Girl

8. Hollywood Stars

9. An Ideal Woman

Notes

Bibliography

Filmography

Index

Sujets

• USA
• United States of America
• 20th century
• History of the Americas
• États-Unis

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791489437
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

S

Naomi Braun Rosenthal St e rp i n s Ta l e S

andWomanly Possibilities

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Spinster Tales and Womanly Possibilities

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S PINSTER T ALES

AND W OMANLY  P OSSIBILITIES

Naomi Braun Rosenthal

S T A T E  U N I V E R S I T YO F  N E W  Y O R K  P R E S S

The following stories from theLadies’ Home Journalare reprinted in their entirety with the permission of theLadies’ Home Journal:Theory” by Emma C.“Rebekah Spofford’s Hewitt, copyright 1890;“The Woman Who Threw Herself Away” by Margarita Spalding Gerry, copyright 1913; “The Whip of Emotion” by Lois Montross, copyright 1933, Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

Published by S U N Y P , TATE NIVERSITY OF EW ORK RESS A LBANY

© 2002 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207

Production and book design, Laurie Searl Marketing, Anne M. Valentine

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Rosenthal, Naomi Braun, 1940– Spinster tales and womanly possibilities / Naomi Braun Rosenthal. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-5205-0 (alk. paper). — ISBN 0-7914-5206-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. American fiction—History and criticism. 2. Women and literature—United States—History. 3. Feminist fiction, American—History and criticism. 4. Single women in literature. 5. Women in motion pictures. 6. Single women—Fiction. I. Title.

PS374.W6 R67 2002 813.009'920652—dc21

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2001048346

to my family, who prefer Jane Austen

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One Two Three Four

Five Six Seven Eight Nine

Contents

Preface The Persistent Spinster

“Bossed by a Woman”

An E/Man/Cipated Woman

“She Has Deliberately Shut the Door of Opportunity”

A Debatable Figure

“A Lady Scholar?” Sex and the Single Girl Hollywood Stars

An Ideal Woman Notes Bibliography

Filmography Index

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1 19 31

53 71 89 107 125 145 155 171 177 179

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