Reviewer Evaluation Form
This conference will explore the theme, American Novel, Nation, Romanticism, and Imperialism, from a broad perspective, including the emergence of the novel and its different forms (epistolary, gothic, historical fiction, etc.); the novel as a tool for education and/or nationalism; cultural constructions of gender, race, class, citizenship, aliens or the “other”; definitions of national history and/or consciousness; eighteenth- and nineteenth-century sociopolitical contexts and conflicts; romanticism and imperialism, etc.
Organizers seek papers that develop arguments in response to the conference theme, that position new research in relation to ongoing scholarly discussions about the period and individual works in it, and that represent the best expression of new and emerging scholars.
Papers should be 8-10 pp. double-spaced using 12-pt. font. (excluding bibliography/Works Cited).
Manuscript Title: Ruling by Love: A True Womanhood Approach to Education
Recommendation:
Accept _____
Revise and resubmit __X___
Reject _____
Evaluation: Please consider the overall effectiveness of the essay and how well it suits the conference forum (described above). Here you will highlight the specific strengths of the argument and areas for revision.
I am satisfied that Stroup’s essay fulfills the conference theme in that it considers how Savage’s novel, The Factory Girl, explores how educational opportunities provided agency to early nineteenth century women. Stroup provides a concise argument that the novel’s protagonist, Mary Burnam, has been granted agency and authority as a result of her education. Simultaneously, Stroup’s examination of how Burnam’s education and power still manage to conform to nineteenth century standards of “true womanhood.” In short, Burnam’s power is granted to her as a result of her fulfilling societal ideals of the time, and in this way she is able to find her proper place within her community.
It strikes me that the tension between access to education and fulfillment of the “four virtues” that grant Burnam power is the true argument here, although I’m not certain that Stroup makes this explicitly clear. I was most interested in seeing how these two arena seem to conflict with modern sensibilities but, due to expectations at the time Savage was writing, seem to work within the novel. In particular, I find that the tension exists as a result of who grants access to agency. According to Stroup, Mary Burnam’s father explicitly asks his mother – the woman who raises Mary upon his death – to educate his daughter. Likewise, Stroup takes time to point out that one of the novel’s men of authority – Dr. Mandeville – notes Burnam’s virtue and good sense. Who are the ones declaring the importance of women’s education and defining what virtue and good sense are?
Specific Suggestions for Revision: Please describe specific points in the essay that will benefit from revision and make suggestions about how to undertake that activity. Pay particular attention to the clarity, specificity, and strength with which the argument is advanced; the demonstrated knowledge of the text and period; the distinction between the writer’s views and those of other scholars; the development of each point of argument with textual evidence; areas in which the argument lacks cohesiveness, evidence, or precision; and the contribution of this argument to the field. Please note broad areas in which the niceties of grammar, syntax, style of written expression, or MLA citation style need attention.
My recommendation is that Stroup grants more emphasis on those that grant access and meaning. I have marked up my returned copy with three specific areas upon which to focus. First, the thesis needs to be reinforced. While it seems that thesis is the representation of how education has impacted three generations of women, very little of the essay actually focuses on this; rather, the essay focuses on how early nineteenth-century ideas of female power were influenced by education (or lack thereof), in particular how that education-driven power not only upholds ideal societal expectations, but allows women to achieve the ideal values of domesticity.
The next two areas are along the same lines: the men who grant access to education and power. Or perhaps they do not. Regardless, the fact that there are two prominent paragraphs that deal directly with male intercession on Mary Burnam’s behalf specifically related to her education and the power granted through it seems to scream for more development.
As a side note, given the power that Stroup suggests Burnam achieves, it strikes me as odd that many of the sentences regarding the notion are written in passively. I have marked some of these throughout.
Date sent to Reader: April 17, 2009
Date Returned: April 19, 2009
Reader's Signature: Serge W. Desir, Jr.
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