1 "How often did I rejoice that I lived in a town where all the inhabitants knew each other! If I had been on a remote plantation, or lost among the multitude of a crowded city, I should not be a living woman at this day. The secrets of slavery are concealed like those of the Inquisition. My master was, to my knowledge, the father of eleven slaves. But did the mothers dare to tell who was the father of their children? Did the other slaves dare to allude to it, except in whispers among themselves? No, indeed!"

a. Who wrote the above text?

b. Why is this piece of literature noteworthy in a class about the history of women's literature?

2 Dorothy Wordsworth and Mary Shelley use their writing to express their interests and concerns. How do both of these women use their texts (you were assigned to read in this class) to demonstrate the issues, problems, questions, concerns, that filled their lives? Be specific — refer to some details from the texts.

3Jane Austen uses her characters to reveal problems with social expectations of both men and women in her time period. Choose two male characters from her novel, and explain how Austen uses them to symbolize problems with the expectations that their culture, society, families, place on them. Be specific — refer to scenes, details, etc.

4 a. Explain why Queen Elizabeth I is an important figure to study in the history of women’s literature.

b. What did she write about and how does her poetry connect to our understanding of her biography?

c.In which time period did she write?

5. Jane Austen wrote during the transition from neoclassical literature and Romanticism. Describe two ways in which her novel, Pride and Prejudice, honors tradition, but then also suggests progress, change, or a social revolution. Be specific and refer to characters, plot details, etc.

6.a. Who wrote Showings or Revelations of Divine Love?

b. When was it written?

c. Why is it a significant piece in the study of women’s literature?