Aphra Behn - Love Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister: "Money speaks sense in a language all nations understand."

By Aphra Behn

Book Overview

Aphra Behn was a prolific and well established writer but facts about her remain scant and difficult to confirm. What can safely be said though is that Aphra Behn is now regarded as a key English playwright and a major figure in Restoration theatre. Aphra was born into the rising tensions to the English Civil War. Obviously a time of much division and difficulty as the King and Parliament, and their respective forces, came ever closer to conflict. There are claims she was a spy, that she travelled abroad, possibly as far as Surinam. By 1664 her marriage was over (though by death or separation is not known but presumably the former as it occurred in the year of their marriage) and she now used Mrs Behn as her professional name. Aphra now moved towards pursuing a more sustainable and substantial career and began work for the King's Company and the Duke's Company players as a scribe. Previously her only writing had been poetry but now she would become a playwright. Her first, "The Forc'd Marriage", was staged in 1670, followed by "The Amorous Prince" (1671). After her third play, "The Dutch Lover", Aphra had a three year lull in her writing career. Again it is speculated that she went travelling again, possibly once again as a spy. After this sojourn her writing moves towards comic works, which prove commercially more successful. Her most popular works included "The Rover" and "Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister" (1684-87). With her growing reputation Aphra became friends with many of the most notable writers of the day. This is The Age of Dryden and his literary dominance. From the mid 1680's Aphra's health began to decline. This was exacerbated by her continual state of debt and descent into poverty. Aphra Behn died on April 16th 1689, and is buried in the East Cloister of Westminster Abbey. The inscription on her tombstone reads: "Here lies a Proof that Wit can never be Defence enough against Mortality." She was quoted as stating that she had led a "life dedicated to pleasure and poetry."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1785431668
• ISBN13: 9781785431661
• Release Date: March 2015
• Publisher: Stage Door
• Length: 218 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

sexuality and desire

Aphra Behn's Love Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister reveals the progress of the consciousness of the once innocent and naive Sylvia, who, after being seduced into an affair with her brother-in-law, Philander, learns of her own sexuality and desires. Behn's novel is not only an exploration of the sexual politics of the socety in which she lived in, but also, an examination of the notions of gender and identity. The exchange of love letters between Sylvia and Philander allows readers to sense the intimacy between the two couple, but most importanly, it allows readers to follow the transformantion of Sylvia's identity from lady to whore. Behn conveys the double standard that exists in her society, and perhaps our society as well. Philander, after his lover affair and scandal is still a lord, but unfortunately for Sylvia, once 'undone' is no longer a lady. This book was useful in helping me understand the sexual politics of seventeenth-century English society.