Browse all of the Salem on Literature series

Maria Edgeworth (Magill’s Choice: Notable British Novelists)

Other Literary Forms

Like a number of late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century authors, Maria Edgeworth did not intend to become a novelist but began writing extended prose fiction as an outgrowth of other kinds of literary production. Her first works were children’s tales, usually short and always with a clear and forcefully advanced didactic thesis—a few titles suggest the nature of the themes: “Lazy Laurence,” “Waste Not, Want Not,” “Forgive and Forget.” Many of these stories were assembled under the titles The Parent’s Assistant: Or, Stories...

[The entire page is 6982 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass

Dictionary Tip:

Lookup any word on eNotes with our dictionary. Highlight the word and press SHIFT + D for a definition, or SHIFT + T for a synonym.