CATHARINE MARIA SEDGWICK
Of all the inequalities that existed in society, the easiest one to overcome with effort is wealth. Race, blood, parentage, even education are not as easily overcome. Of all the inequalities, traditionally Americans have been least offended by that of wealth under the theory that with current effort that can often be overcome. It is only in the latter part of the 20th century where modern economics and sociology have shown that wealth inequality itself is also difficult to overcome, that money as a societal leveler has been conceptually diminished. Sedgwick was the first American to identify the phenomenon that had operated in early America.
Catharine Maria Sedgwick was an American novelist of what is sometimes referred to as "domestic fiction". With her work much in demand, from the 1820s to the 1850s, Sedgwick made a good living writing short stories for a variety of periodicals. She became one of the most notable female novelists of her time. She wrote work in American settings, and combined patriotism with protests against historic Puritan oppressiveness. Her topics contributed to the creation of a national literature, enhanced by her detailed descriptions of nature. Sedgwick created spirited heroines who did not conform to the stereotypical conduct of women at the time. She promoted Republican motherhood.
