Exposé of the Popular Heroine: The Female Protagonists of Eliza Haywood

E x p o se o f th e P o p u la r H e ro in e : T h e F em a le P ro ta g o n ists o f E liza H a y w o o d M A R Y A N N E S C H O F IE L D ZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA E igh teen th -cen tu r y fictio n b r istles w ith u n for getta b le w o m en ch a r a c­ ter s. P a m ela An d r ew s a n d Cla r issa H a r lo w e, on th e on e h a n d , a r e m od els o f Ch r istia n vir tu e a n d b eh a vior , w h ile M o ll F la n d er s a n d F a n n y H ill, on th e oth er , a r e w o m en o f little vir tu e b u t extr a o r d in a r y sexu a l p ow er . An d a s p r o ta go n ists o f th e a ckn o w led ged m a ster s o f th e eigh teen th -cen tu r y n o vel, P a m ela An d r ew s, Cla r issa H a r lo w e, Sop h ia W ester n QPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA ( T o m J o n e s ) , a n d F a n n y G o o d w ill ( J o s e p h A n d r e w s ) , to n a m e th e m ost p r om in en t, h a ve b een a d eq u a tely exa m in ed b y cr itics a n d sch ola r s. Su ch is n ot th e ca se, h ow ever , w ith th e h er oin es o f th e p op u la r , th ou gh m in or , fem a le n o velists o f th e p er iod , m ost esp ecia lly E liza H a yw o o d , w h o se fir st n o vel, L o v e in E x c e s s ; o r , T h e F a t a l E n q u ir y (1719 ), r iva led D efoe's S t r a n g e S u r p r iz in g A d v e n t u r e s o f R o b in s o n C r u s o e a n d Sw ift's G u lliv e r 's T r a v e ls a s "th e m ost p o p u la r E n glish fictio n o f th e eigh teen th cen tu r y b e­ fo r e P a m e la ."1 H a yw o o d h a d in tim a te kn o w led ge o f w om en 's p r ob lem s in th e eigh ­ teen th cen tu r y; sh e left h er h u sb a n d , th e R ev. Va len tin e H a yw o o d , a n d su p p or ted h er self a n d h er tw o ch ild r en b y h er liter a r y effor ts. W ith a few excep tio n s,2 ea ch o f h er n o vels con cer n s itself w ith th e h er oin e a n d h er p r o b lem o f self-id en tity. J u st a s M a r y Astell ( S e...