The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless (1751) is a novel by Eliza
Haywood. Blending tragedy and comedy, Haywood explores the intersection
of ambition, family, and desire to reveal how women so often fall victim
to the whims of men. The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless has been
recognized as one of the first novels in English literature to depict
the development of an independent heroine, as well as to move away from
the more popular genre of amatory fiction toward the marriage plot.
Widely read in the eighteenth century, Haywood influenced such authors
as Fanny Burney and Jane Austen. Having completed her education at an
all-girls boarding school, Betsy Thoughtless moves to the city of
London. For the first time, she finds herself thrust into the orbit of
young and marriageable men, whose attention and affections she craves,
though remains cautious to reciprocate. Betsy knows the dangers inherent
to sexual impropriety--pregnancy out of wedlock would all but guarantee
her a life of poverty and misfortune, not to mention the shame it would
bring to her aristocratic family. Despite these pressures, Betsy finds a
way to enjoy single life while learning to recognize the signs of
deceitful, unworthy men. When marriage does come, she soon realizes the
institution is far from perfect. Unhappy, she grows as a person and
looks for a way to regain her former independence. With a beautifully
designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of
Eliza Haywood's The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless is a classic of
English literature reimagined for modern readers.
