E. D. E. N. Southworth
E. D. E. N. Southworth was an influential American novelist born in Washington, D.C., in the 19th century. Known for her sensitive nature and challenging childhood, Southworth faced significant hardships, including the early death of her father and a difficult relationship with her stepfather. Despite these struggles, she excelled academically and became a schoolteacher at a young age. In 1840, she married inventor Frederick Hamilton Southworth, but he abandoned her a few years later, leading her to return to teaching while also beginning to write short fiction to support her family.
Southworth gained prominence as a writer, publishing her first novel, "Retribution: Or, The Vale of Shadows," in 1849. Over her prolific career, she authored more than sixty novels and eight collections of short stories, often featuring strong female protagonists and dramatic plots set in the American South. Her works, including notable titles like "The Hidden Hand," resonated with a wide audience, making her one of the most popular authors of her time. However, despite her literary success, Southworth faced financial difficulties later in life and passed away in relative poverty. Her legacy remains significant in the landscape of American literature, particularly for her contributions to the depiction of women in fiction.
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Subject Terms
E. D. E. N. Southworth
Author
- Born: December 26, 1819
- Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
- Died: June 30, 1899
- Place of death: Washington, D.C.
Biography
E. D. E. N. Southworth was born in Washington, D.C., in the 1800’s. Southworth was an exceedingly sensitive child who had a difficult time feeling comfortable within her own family. She forged a tight bond with her maternal grandmother, who lived with Southworth and her parents. When Southworth was four, her father passed away, leaving the child deeply depressed and her mother financially destitute. Two years after her father’s death, Southworth’s mother remarried, which proved to be an unhappy occasion for the six-year-old child. Life with her stepfather was devoid of affection, and Southworth and her sister often found themselves deprived of food and comfort.
However, Southworth’s stepfather, Joshua L. Henshaw, opened a school where Southworth excelled. She graduated at the age of sixteen and became a schoolteacher. She married the inventor Frederick Hamilton Southworth in 1840, and together they moved to Prairie du Chien in Wisconsin. Southworth returned alone to Washington in 1844, where she gave birth to a son and later a daughter. It was apparent that her husband had abandoned her.
Southworth resumed her career as a schoolteacher. In order to supplement her meager income, Southworth began writing short fiction, which she published in newspapers. She began in 1846 with the short story “The Irish Refugee,” which was printed in the Baltimore Saturday Visitor. Her first novel, Retribution: Or, The Vale of Shadows—A Tale of Passion, initially appeared as a serial in the National Era in 1849. The full-length book was released later that same year.
Southworth published ten more novels by 1855, at which point she was hired to write for The New York Ledger for a far greater income than she had been earning. The first of Southworth’s novels to appear in serial form in The New York Ledger was Vivia: Or, The Secret of Power. An extremely prolific writer, Southworth published more than sixty novels and eight short-story collections between 1860 and 1910. Her work often centers on strong female characters engaged in larger-than-life plots, often taking place in the American South. Southwork’s novels appealed to a large audience, and her work was very popular at the time. Titles of note include The Mother-in-Law: Or, The Isle of Rays, The Hidden Hand, and A Beautiful Fiend: Or, Through the Fire.
Southworth’s unceasing work and eventual financial strain took its toll on her health, and she passed away in relative poverty despite her success as an author.