Promises Broken: Courtship, Class, and Gender in Victorian England

by Ginger S. Frost

Overview

In the nineteenth century, a woman who could prove a man had broken his promise to marry her was legally entitled to compensation for damages. Bridging the gap between history and literature, Ginger S. Frost offers an in-depth examination of these breaches of promise and compares actual with fictional cases. Althought the most important factor in determining the outcome of such trials was gender, class was also vital in assessing the suitability of mates. Promises Broken highlights the courtship practices of lower- and middle- class Victorians, a group much neglected in previous scholarship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813929347
Publisher:	University of Virginia Press
Publication date:	06/04/2015
Series:	Victorian Literature and Culture Series
Pages:	260
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.25(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Ginger S. Frost is Assistant Professor of History at Judson College.

Editorial Reviews

In the 19th century a woman who could prove a man had broken his promise to marry her was legally entitled to compensation. Frost (history, Judson College) examines evidence from 875 breach-of-promise cases and compares it with suits in Victorian fiction, which frequently used such cases to comic effect (e.g. Dickens' Pickwick Papers). She finds that fictional cases influenced popular perception far more than actual cases, which generally functioned to repair lives damaged by unwanted pregnancies, lost careers, and broken dreams. Her research highlights the courtship practices of lower- and lower-middle-class Victorians, a group often neglected in scholarship. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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