For Her Own Good

Ranging from courtly treatises and advice manuals to prescriptive literature feminist and anti-female tracts, this series aims to fill a gap in women's history. This series of conduct books offers a blue-print for feminine decorum which can be measured against the behaviour of wayward women, rebellious wives, unruly daughters or unreformed prostitutes. Hints on securing a husband, or how to become the perfect wife are written, not just as practical guides but also as works that invariably subvert the social conventions they appear to uphold. The writers of this series provides insights into female conduct and its aberrations, as well as some indication of what deviations can lie between the actual and the ideal.