Nerdy Speaker Series: Rebels with a Cause

Rebels With a Cause: 19th-Century American Women Writers Protest Against Patriarchy

Join us for a discussion about how these stories help us to rethink the role of women both then and now, while they encourage us to keep pushing back against those who forget that, in America, it is “freedom and justice for all.”

While the image of the “True Woman” in Victorian-age America—angelic, passive, and born to serve men—remains a powerful literary trope, women authors offered opposing images of strong, assertive, and downright rebellious female characters that counteract such stereotypes. Mary Wilkins Freeman, Sarah Orne Jewett, and Kate Chopin published several short stories featuring strong, capable women and girls who fought against the strict confines of the domestic sphere set up to restrict their movements and restrain their desires. In “A New England Nun,” “A White Heron,” “The Storm,” and “The Revolt of Mother,” these authors explore what happens when women take control of their own fate, in order to express their independence from patriarchal law and order.

Cost: Your ticket includes a complimentary glass of wine and light snacks. All proceeds benefit Norristown Page Turners, a 501(c)(3) public charity.

Speaker Background: Dr. Rebecca Jaroff is profesor emeritus of the English department at Ursinus College. She is also an avid reader and the board president of Norristown Page Turners.

PARKING: is plentiful and free on Lafayette St, just one block away from Recycle Read Repeat Bookstore.

Public Transportation

We are also conveniently located right across the street from Norristown Transportation Center which serves the Norristown/Manayunk regional Rail Line, the Norristown High Speed Line and many bus routes.

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