Under the pen name Mrs. Humphry Ward, Mary Augusta Ward wrote the book "Fenwick's Career." The 1906 novel delves on subjects such as marriage, societal transformation, and the conflict between individual aspirations and conventional norms. Gilbert Fenwick, an accomplished and driven attorney, and his spouse, Lady Rose Fenwick, are the central characters of the narrative. Lady Rose finds herself debating her own goals and objectives as Gilbert grows more preoccupied with his work and public persona. In a culture that frequently places a premium on traditional roles and expectations, the story depicts the difficulties and sacrifices that people-women in particular-face. "Fenwick's Career" explores the conflicts between responsibility and personal fulfilment against the backdrop of early 20th-century England, illuminating the changing status of women and the effects of society conventions on people. The protagonists provide a detailed examination of the shifting dynamics of marriage and gender roles in the context of the time by navigating complicated relationships and cultural expectations.
Marcella, young and with a new-womanly independence, has a yearning to help the poor. When a gamekeeper is murdered near where she lives, Marcella finds herself at odds with her wealthy fiancé over beliefs about property and justice. The discovery leads Marcella to pursue—among other things—a career in nursing. In settings ranging from village cottages, London slums and hospital wards to fashionable drawing rooms and the Ladies’ Gallery of the Houses of Parliament, the book combines a gripping story with serious issues—socialism, rural and urban poverty, poaching laws, journalistic ethics, the Woman Question—inspiring critics to liken Marcella to George Eliot’s novels. The Broadview Literary Texts edition records the substantive differences between the two major editions published during Ward’s lifetime, and included among the many appendices are news accounts of the murder trial and executions that inspired the novel, and previously unpublished letters by Ward. NB: Mary Augusta Ward has traditionally been known as Mrs. Humphry Ward.
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