Female empowerment in eighteenth century England : an investigation into the heroines of Frances Burney’s "Evelina" and Eliza Haywood’s "Fantomina"

Abstract

This paper sets out to explore how two eighteenth century female authors reached out to and empowered meighteenth century women who struggled in a predominantly male-oriented culture. Using two primary works, Eliza Haywood’s novel Fantomina; Or, Love in a Maze and Frances Burney’s Evelina, or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World, I attempt to highlight Haywood’s and Burney’s contribution to female empowerment in eighteenth century England, through their heroines’ successful negotiation of societal issues, which defied the traditional gender roles of their time, and asserted women’s access to power in the social sphere.