Skip to content
Scan a barcode
Scan
Paperback The Female American - Second Edition: Or, the Adventures of Unca Eliza Winkfield Book

ISBN: 1554810965

ISBN13: 9781554810963

The Female American or, The Adventures of Unca Eliza Winkfield (Broadview Literary Texts)

Select Format

Select Condition ThriftBooks Help Icon

Recommended

Format: Paperback

Condition: Very Good

$23.49
Save $0.26!
List Price $23.75
Almost Gone, Only 1 Left!

Book Overview

When it first appeared in 1767, this novel was called a "sort of second Robinson Crusoe; full of wonders." Indeed, The Female American is an adventure novel about an English protagonist shipwrecked on a deserted isle, where survival requires both individual ingenuity and careful negotiations with visiting local Indians. But what most distinguishes Winkfield's novel is her protagonist, a woman who is of mixed race. Though the era's popular novels typically featured women in the confining contexts of the home and the bourgeois marriage market, Winkfield's novel portrays an autonomous and mobile heroine living alone in the wilds of the New World, independently interacting with both Native Americans and visiting Europeans. The Female American is also one of the earliest novelistic efforts to articulate an American identity.


This second edition has been updated throughout and includes a greatly expanded selection of historical materials on castaway narratives and on the cultural context of colonial America.

Customer Reviews

1 rating

Essential

This is a 4 to 4-1/2 star book but I'm giving it 5 to level out the previous review, which was based on the reviewer's (likely distorted judging by his/her's other reviews) thoughts on what is "enteratining." I have no qualms about this leveling-out either because the book could easily be seen as a 5-starer by anyone, and I would be glad to discuss the ethics of such on line possibilites, elsewhere of course. Now, Burnham's edition of this recovered novel is a trenchant exploration that would make a critical addition to any udergrad intro to theory class reading list (What if Robinson Crusoe [and all he represents] was a woman? And the infinite, important questions sparked by this and others). The novel itself is a critical addition to any 18th century reading list. My favorite provoked thoughts: (1) wondering who wrote it while simultaneously not wanting to know and (2) understanding the fragility of "authorship" to begin with.
Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
GoDaddy Verified and Secured