Reading for the Law: British Literary History and Gender Advocacy

In the tradition of the Law and Literature movement, Krueger (English, Marquette U.) discusses the relevance of literary history to feminist jurisprudence in the areas of legal precedent, agency, testimony, and motive, showing how literary history can contribute to advocating for justice for disadvantaged groups and educate scholars and students in both disciplines. She considers literary, legal, and historical sources from the early modern period through the Victorian age, as well as contemporary literary, feminist, and legal theory. She examines the legacy of witchcraft prosecutions, agency and the evolution of the Reasonable Man standard of evidence in lunacy inquiries, the fate of female witnesses and pro se litigants, advocacy for female prisoners and infanticide defendants, and defense strategies for men accused of indecent assault and sodomy. Texts discussed include Elizabeth Gaskell's Lois the Witch, Mary Wollstonecraft's Maria: or, The Wrongs of Woman, Charles Reade's Hard Cash and Griffith Gaunt, and Anthony Trollope's Orley Farm. Portions of the book have been previously published. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Christine L. Krueger is Associate Professor in the Department of English at Marquette University.