Caroline Chesebro
Caroline Chesebro (1825–?) was an American writer known for her contributions to mid-19th century literature, particularly within the domestic novel genre. Born in Canandaigua, New York, she was the daughter of Nicholas Goddard Cheseborough and Betsey Kimball and spent her life in Piermont on the Hudson River. Chesebro began her writing career in 1848, publishing stories in well-known magazines such as Harper's and Putnam's Magazine. Her first collection, *Dream-Land by Daylight: A Panorama of Romance*, was published in 1851, followed by her novels, including *Isa: A Pilgrimage* (1852) and *The Foe in the Household* (1871).
Chesebro's work often subverted typical narratives of the time by creating heroines who embodied both conventional and unconventional traits. Her writings addressed themes such as the abuse of power, particularly in male-dominated societies, and she critiqued societal norms through narratives like *Victoria: Or, The World Overcome*, which reflects on the Salem witch hunts. Besides adult fiction, she also penned moralistic tales for children, emphasizing virtue and the struggles of suffering individuals. After the Civil War, she transitioned to teaching composition in Brooklyn, where she left a positive impression on her students. In recent years, feminist criticism has helped to reassess Chesebro's significance in American literature, highlighting her unique voice and the emotional depth of her characters.
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Subject Terms
Caroline Chesebro
Writer
- Born: March 30, 1825
- Birthplace: Canandaigua, New York
- Died: February 16, 1873
Biography
Caroline Chesebro was born in 1825,the fifth child of Nicholas Goddard Cheseborough of Canandaiquin, New York, the village postmaster, and Betsey Kimball. Her father could trace his ancestry to William Cheseborough, who had sailed from England in 1630 to settle in Salem, Massachusetts. Chesebro received her education at the seminary in her village. She lived with her brothers and sister at Piermont on the Hudson River all her life and never married.
In 1848, at the age of twenty-three, Chesebro changed the spelling of her name and began a lifelong career as writer. Her first tales appeared in various New York magazines and journals, including Harper’s and Putnam’s Magazine. In 1851, a number of these were collected as Dream-Land by Daylight: A Panorama of Romance. Interestingly, she was criticized both for being too masculine and too feminine.
In her first novel, Isa: A Pilgrimage (1852), the typical plot of the mid-nineteenth century domestic novel is somewhat subverted by the nature of the heroine. She is an orphan and she is rewarded for her goodness, but she also travels to Europe with a free-thinking lover. Isa is a genius, and only an analysis of the subplot can reveal her more conventional aspects.
Chesebro’s second novel continues to develop the idea of a heroine who is both conventional and unconventional. Her characters are exceptional, but their qualities are overlooked, and they are spurned for duller rivals and end their days in a community of women, where their talents are appreciated.
Other novels more obviously follow the features of the domestic or sentimental novel of American women writers, especially in their presentation of the theme of suffering from the abuse of power. Chesebro, however, defines this abuse as typically male. In her last novel, The Foe in the Household (1871), originally serialized in the Atlantic Monthly, the harshness of a male-dominated Mennonite sect is particularly directed at exceptional women, like the novel’s heroine. Another example is Chesebro’s novel about the Salem witch hunts: Victoria: Or, The World Overcome (1856). This story is typical of a number of anti- Puritan novels of the period: both the accused and the accusers are victims of a male-dominated society.
Chesebro also wrote didactic tales for young people. These are patterned in a more moralistic style and end with an abundance of rewards for doing good, as in the 1863 collection The Sparrow’s Fall: Or, Under the Willow and Other Stories. Some of the tales depict suffering children, but all demonstrate a desire to live good lives. During the Civil War, Chesebro’s stories demonstrated a strong devotion to the Northern case. After the War she began teaching composition at a college in Brooklyn, N.Y., and she remained there until her death. She was held in high regard by her students.
Although there are obvious moralizings and sentimentalities in her writing, and though she wrote primarily for women, she did enlarge the sentimental novel to include unusual women and broadened the genre’s scope by writing in a strong way on the emotional life. Modern feminist criticism has made worthwhile efforts to rehabilitate her reputation, especially in the face of a male-dominated canon.