Promises broken : courtship, class, and gender in Victorian England / Ginger S. Frost.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Frost, Ginger Suzanne, 1962-

Series:

Victorian literature and culture series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Breach of promise--Great Britain--History--19th century.

Breach of promise.

Man-woman relationships--England--History--19th century.

Man-woman relationships.

Courtship--England--History--19th century.

Courtship.

History.

England.

Great Britain.

Physical Description:

ix, 241 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Charlottesville : University Press of Virginia, 1995.

Summary:

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. Although 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 lower middle-class Victorians, a group much neglected in previous scholarship.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [211]-222) and index.

ISBN:

0813916100

OCLC:

32238926