Susanna Rowson’s Sincerity and “Republican Motherhood”

This thesis revolves around Susanna Rowson’s epistolary novel Sincerity and the figure of the Republican Mother. More precisely, it analyses how the main character of the novel, Sarah Darnley, relates to the figure of the Republican Mother and how understanding Republican Motherhood is crucial to the understanding of the novel. The first chapter recounts Susanna Rowson’s life and why she is considered a transatlantic author. Then there is a nod to the Just Teach One recovery project, which is the reason scholars today are able to read Sincerity. The chapter then continues with a summary of Sincerity’s plot, the presentation of its main themes, such as marriage, female friendship and infidelity, and the introduction of the main female characters, Sarah Darnley, Mrs. Bellamy, Jessey Romain and Anne. In the second chapter, the focus shifts on the figure of the Republican Mother, whose function and history are analyzed taking into consideration texts by Linda Kerber, Jan Lewis and Rosemarie Zagarri on the subject. Then the main character of Sarah Darnley is put through the lens of Republican Motherhood to see whether she adheres to the ideal Republican woman. This analysis helps the reader understand the true function of Sincerity, which is that of cautionary tale for two generations of women.