Elizabeth De Wolfe publishes article on sensational fiction

Elizabeth De Wolfe's latest article is published in Nursing Clio, a collaborative blog
Elizabeth De Wolfe's latest article is published in Nursing Clio, a collaborative blog

Elizabeth De Wolfe, Ph.D., professor of history and co-founder of the Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies Program, recently published an article on true crime inspired sensational fiction in Nursing Clio, an open access, peer-reviewed, collaborative blog project that ties historical scholarship to present-day issues related to gender and medicine.

According to De Wolfe, true crime-based accounts in mid-nineteenth-century sensational fiction, published in inexpensive, lurid pamphlet-novellas with bright yellow covers, exposed the dangers of the big, bad city for country girls turned cash-earning urban workers.

In her article DeWolfe writes, 鈥淲hat these cautionary tales truly exposed was a cultural uncertainty about women in the workforce. In tale after tale, na茂ve, and sometimes disobedient, young women drifted away from their ideal future of marriage and motherhood, falling victim to seduction and its attendant specter of abortion.鈥
 

True-crime inspired sensational fiction featuring working women continued beyond the 1860s, when the workforce of New England textile mills shifted from native-born white New Englanders to immigrant laborers. 

DeWolfe has taught and served the 51品茶community for 23 years. Her research interests are in 19th century American women鈥檚 history. She has several notable works including The Murder of Mary Bean and Other Stories.

51品茶 the 51品茶

The 51品茶 is Maine鈥檚 largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state鈥檚 top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine鈥檚 only medical college, Maine鈥檚 only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.