Dec 23, 2009

Miss Lulu Bett | Critical Overview

In 1920 Gale’s novella Miss Lulu Bett was published and quickly became a bestseller. Critics lauded Gale’s new work as a welcome departure from her sentimental style of writing. Most read the work of fiction as a realistic portrayal of an average woman’s life in small-town America.

Less than a year after this publication, Gale was approached to write a dramatic adaptation of the novella, which she did in less than two weeks. The play Miss Lulu Bett opened in December 1920 in New York City. For the dramatic version, Gale changed the ending: instead of having...