Fanny FERN, real name Sara Payson Willis Parton, American, born in 1811 and died in 1872, journalist, novelist, essayist, author of short stories, columnist of women's newspapers and press writer. In 1837, she married Charles H. Eldredge, a bank teller, and they had three daughters. But at the death of the husband in 1846, Fanny Fern remained without resources. His parents demanded his remarriage as the best way of financial support. In 1849, she married Samuel Farrington, a widower with two children. This remarriage failed with divorce in 1853. In 1856, she married her third wife, writer and writer James Parton, eleven years younger. Parton knew his wife's publications well and supported every aspect of his writing and work. She sent samples of her writing to her brother, Nathaniel Parker Willis, in New York, but dismissed them with harsh criticism, deeming her sister's work inappropriate and indecent. In 1855, Fern was the best columnist. Fern wrote as a social critic, exposing what she saw as societal wrongs and sometimes offering ways to repair those wrongs. She was deeply concerned about the injustice that affected women, both at home and in the market, which is why she has never stopped urging women to be financially independent of women. men. After the publication of RUTH HALL in 1855, Fern was hired by Robert Bonner of the New York bestseller Ledger as a weekly columnist. First novel, anonymous and autobiographical. The heroine showed a behavior that was grossly unfeminine. Topics covered include women's economic independence, children's rights, birth control, prostitution, venereal diseases and inappropriate topics for a woman to discuss publicly. The novel Ruth Hall, originally planned to be under an anonymous pen, was finally released under the name of Fanny Fern. Also, this key novel, made public the private affairs of the author, exposing its hardships, especially the ill-treatment of its own family. It was a shocking read for this period, especially distinguished women were not supposed to slander their families in public and celebrate their personal victories. Ruth Hall does not end with the heroine's wedding and the end of her career. The heroine is an assertive and independent businesswoman in a male dominated environment, but she is also a devoted mother. When Ruth Hall first appeared, Fern, who was hailed by the British press, but, she was systematically lashed by American media, who cited the novel's baseness, and the fact that Fern had " lowered "with its publication. She did, however, have her American followers. Nathaniel Hawthorne, for example, found his writing different from the writing of his contemporaries, noting that when, like Fern, women writers "get rid of the constraints of decency ... Then their books are sure to have character and value.
