Routledge - Figuring Modesty in Feminist Discourse 1633-1700

Explore the complex role of modesty in seventeenth-century Euro-American history with this scholarly study from Routledge. Part of the Women and Gender in the Early Modern World series, this book provides fresh readings of the arguments and practices used by four significant women: Anne Bradstreet, Anne Hutchinson, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, and Marie de l'Incarnation. Tamara Harvey presents an inventive approach by comparing functionalist treatments of the body. The text offers a new perspective on how corporeality served as a device in literary and religious expressions of modesty. By examining these specific women, the study reveals their active participation in the religious, political, scientific, and social debates of their time. This work is an essential resource for readers interested in early modern history, feminist discourse, and the evolution of gender studies across the Americas. It provides a deep look into how women navigated social structures through their writing and religious expressions during the 1600s.