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Betsey Bobbett: A Drama cover

Betsey Bobbett: A Drama

By Marietta Holley
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HumourPlays/Films/Dramas

About This Book

A comic rural drama assembled from domestic scenes and village encounters that chronicles a talkative farmer’s wife and the eccentric townspeople around her: an ardent old maid longing for marriage, her foppish brother, a self-important preacher, widows and local worthies. Through colloquial monologues, stage action and episodic vignettes the piece satirizes sentimental excess, gender expectations, religious pomposity and small‑town politics, using humor and exaggeration to expose hypocrisy and social pretension. The structure alternates household tableaux, meetinghouse speeches and farcical incidents to highlight tensions between private desires and public opinion while keeping a folksy, conversational tone.

About the Author

Holley, Marietta portrait

Marietta Holley

Marietta Holley was an American author and humorist known for her satirical writings that often addressed social issues of her time, particularly women's rights and societal norms. She created the beloved character Samantha Allen, who navigates the challenges of life with wit and wisdom. Holley's notable works include "Around the World with Josiah Allen's Wife" and "Josiah Allen on the Woman Question," where she cleverly critiques gender roles and advocates for women's empowerment. Her unique blend of humor and social commentary has left a lasting impact on American literature, making her a significant figure in the literary heritage of the late 19th century.

More Books by This Author

6 picks
Around the World with Josiah Allen's Wife cover Around the World with Josiah Allen's Wife by Marietta Holley Josiah Allen on the Woman Question cover Josiah Allen on the Woman Question by Marietta Holley Josiah Allen's Wife as a P. A. and P. I.: Samantha at the Centennial. / Designed As a Bright and Shining Light, to Pierce the Fogs of Error and Injustice That Surround Society and Josiah, and to Bring More Clearly to View the Path That Leads Straight on to Virtue and Happiness. cover Josiah Allen's Wife as a P. A. and P. I.: Samantha at the Centennial. / Designed As a Bright and Shining Light, to Pierce the Fogs of Error and Injustice That Surround Society and Josiah, and to Bring More Clearly to View the Path That Leads Straight on to Virtue and Happiness. by Marietta Holley Josiah's Alarm, and Abel Perry's Funeral cover Josiah's Alarm, and Abel Perry's Funeral by Marietta Holley Josiah's Secret: A Play cover Josiah's Secret: A Play by Marietta Holley My Opinions and Betsey Bobbet's / Designed as a Beacon Light to Guide Women to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, But Which May Be Read by Members of the Sterner Sect, without Injury to Themselves or the Book cover My Opinions and Betsey Bobbet's / Designed as a Beacon Light to Guide Women to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, But Which May Be Read by Members of the Sterner Sect, without Injury to Themselves or the Book by Marietta Holley

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