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Martha Finley, Elsie’s Kith and Kin, 1885
Jul. 15th, 2015 06:02 pmThe Elsie series became something like a soap opera, focussing not only on Elsie but her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Wiki shows her family tree.
In this book one of Elsie’s daughters resents a female visitor who distracts her husband from her. She forgets that she really belongs to her husband! Oh, what laughs when he reminds her that her body actually belongs to him, so that if he dictates a letter to her it is still written with his hand!
In other developments, the step-daughter of one of Elsie’s other daughters accidentally kicks a small child down a staircase in a fit of anger. Luckily the baby survives, and the father announces that he will be quitting his day job in order to stay home full time, guiding his children (specifically his daughter).
And so the novel ends with patriarchal order restored.
In this book one of Elsie’s daughters resents a female visitor who distracts her husband from her. She forgets that she really belongs to her husband! Oh, what laughs when he reminds her that her body actually belongs to him, so that if he dictates a letter to her it is still written with his hand!
In other developments, the step-daughter of one of Elsie’s other daughters accidentally kicks a small child down a staircase in a fit of anger. Luckily the baby survives, and the father announces that he will be quitting his day job in order to stay home full time, guiding his children (specifically his daughter).
And so the novel ends with patriarchal order restored.
