The Governess by Sarah Fielding: Themes, Characters, and 18th-Century Education
Sarah Fielding’s The Governess: A Landmark Novel
Author Profile: Sarah Fielding (1710–1768)
Sarah Fielding (1710–1768) was a respected British author and the sister of the novelist Henry Fielding. She was one of the eighteenth century’s most respected women writers. Sarah turned to writing professionally, becoming one of the first women authors who sought to make a living solely through her work.
Two of her famous works are The Adventures of David Simple and The Governess.
Publication Details
The Governess, or The Little Female Academy was published in 1749. It holds the distinction of being the first full-length novel written specifically for children, marking it as a significant work of children’s literature of the 18th century.
Major Themes in The Governess
The novel describes the daily routines of the pupils, where Mrs. Teachum skillfully mixes responsibility and entertainment, often utilizing fables and fairy tales. The text presents several underlying principles on education and social conduct:
Morality and Virtue
Nine female pupils recount their life stories, which Mrs. Teachum intersperses with fairy tales and Oriental tales—a novelty for young readers unaccustomed to imaginative fiction. These stories collectively serve Fielding’s moral purpose: teaching self-control, obedience, honesty, and traditional Christian virtues. The young girls are encouraged to discover truth for themselves and to become their own agents through reasoned discussion based on their readings.
Education and Enlightenment Influence
Education is a central theme. Fielding’s approach was very progressive for its day, reflecting the influence of John Locke and Enlightenment ideology. The novel emphasizes that female education primarily starts at home.
Marriage and Societal Expectations
The text highlights the societal pressures of the time: if women wished to marry, they were expected to be beautiful, pleasant, and obedient. The main character, Jenny, is specifically taught to control her passions and feelings to meet these expectations.
Key Characters
Miss Jenny Peace
Jenny is the main character. She is educated, like many women of that era, to be beautiful, pleasant, and obedient. She demonstrates the ability to possess these qualities while also controlling her own emotions, developing into a reasonable woman. However, she suffers significant isolation after losing her father, mother, and being separated from her brother (who is studying at school). She matures without affection, a consequence of the restrictive societal norms of the time. Fortunately, she is beautiful enough to attract male attention.
Miss Suckey and Miss Patty Lockit
These characters serve as the negative examples in the narrative. Although they are described as more beautiful than Jenny, they are highly critical and prone to speaking nonsense.
Jenny’s Mother
She represents the ideal woman of that time, possessing good appearance and good manners. Crucially, she treats her children equally. She educates them at home, teaching them to enjoy each other’s company. She attempts to make her daughter feel important, despite knowing the difference in status between her children, and ensures Jenny receives lessons even though women were not allowed to study at school.
Harry Peace
Harry is Jenny’s brother. Thanks to their mother’s progressive education, he does not feel superior to his sister simply for being male. He protects and treats her kindly, making her feel comfortable.
Viewpoint and Fielding’s Social Commentary
The primary aim of The Governess was to educate young women, making it the first novel written specifically for children. The work focuses heavily on education, virtue, obedience, and values—topics crucial in a society dominated by men, where a woman’s worth was often tied to her appearance, manners, and adherence to duty.
Fielding complicates the topic of education by arguing that girls should learn to think for themselves, rather than merely being taught how to be ‘perfect.’ She was acutely aware of the unequal situation between the sexes, expressing her thoughts indirectly. This is evident in the character arc of Jenny, who is educated similarly to her brother, striving for equality. Sarah Fielding used her novels as a vehicle to express her deep concern about the situation of women in the 18th century.