{"id":199368,"date":"2024-06-14T16:38:28","date_gmt":"2024-06-15T02:38:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=199368"},"modified":"2024-06-14T16:39:12","modified_gmt":"2024-06-15T02:39:12","slug":"fanny-fern-americas-first-feminist-satirist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/06\/14\/fanny-fern-americas-first-feminist-satirist\/","title":{"rendered":"English professor showcases Fanny Fern, America’s first feminist satirist"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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From left: Sara Parton also known as Fanny Fern, right: Caron\u2019s son Will, a UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa alumnus, created the illustration on the book cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Digging into 19th-century newspaper archives, James Caron, professor emeritus from the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at Mānoa\u2019s Department of English<\/a>, recovered a literary treasure trove: the weekly columns of Sara Parton, known as “Fanny Fern,” who became America\u2019s most highly-paid woman columnist. From the 1850s to the 1870s, Parton captivated readers with her keen insights and satirical takes on social issues, especially domestic life and gender expectations.<\/p>\n

“She\u2019s fearless, she’s absolutely fearless,” explained Caron. “She could be very sharp, even aggressive, with her wit. Some people at first thought that she was a man.”<\/p>\n

For example, she has this to say about a proper woman: <\/p>\n