Woman as Mediatrix

This selection of essays reveals the response of nineteenth-century women writers to the industrial revolution in Europe. Although it illustrates the variety of social and cultural backgrounds of authors whose lives spanned two centuries, this volume is unified by the introductory essay which explains how the industrial revolution altered women's perceptions of their roles, rights, and places in society. Subsequent essays treat the dual rebellions of women against personal and political mores, and describe how they attempted to escape sexual and cultural constraints and effected social reform.