
Personal as well as political, Adeline Mowbray (1804) is loosely based on the relationship between Amelia Opie's friends, Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin. Written in a period of conservative reaction in Britain, the novel recalls the earlier radical era of the 1790s. Encouraged by her mother to pursue an interest in radical social ideas, Adeline Mowbray innocently puts her theories of idealized love into practice. Her attempt to live with the philosopher Frederic Glenmurray outside marriage is condemned by both her mother and society. Adeline and Glenmurray's relationship becomes the focal point for Opie's satire on society's attitudes to education, women, marriage, masculine and feminine codes of honour, filial loyalty and the struggle to justify individual choice. This Oxford World's Classics volume is currently the only critical edition of Adeline Mowbray available.
Adeline Mowbray attempts to live by her radical philosophical principles regarding love and marriage, only to find herself ostracized by the rigid social structures of her time. Raised by a mother who encourages intellectual independence, Adeline adopts the unconventional theories of the philosopher Frederic Glenmurray. She chooses to live with him without the legal sanction of marriage, a decision that triggers intense social condemnation and familial conflict. The narrative follows her struggle to reconcile her idealistic beliefs with the harsh realities of a society that refuses to accept her choices. The story is presented through a third-person perspective that examines the logical consequences of radical social experiments in a conservative environment.
Discussion often centers on the novel's role as a bridge between the radicalism of the 1790s and the more conservative literary climate of the early 19th century. Readers frequently highlight the effectiveness of Opie's satire in exposing the hypocrisy inherent in contemporary attitudes toward women and marriage. Critics often note that the protagonist's development serves as a vehicle for exploring the friction between abstract theory and lived experience. The work is widely recognized for its nuanced portrayal of the social costs associated with challenging established conventions. Many scholars emphasize the importance of the text in understanding the intellectual climate that influenced later feminist discourse.
Page Count:
290
Publication Date:
2000-02-17
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0192833308
ISBN-13:
9780192833303
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