Mary Jane Holmes
Mary Jane Holmes was a prominent 19th-century American author known for her sentimental fiction that resonated with readers from the pre-Civil War era to the turn of the century. Born into a large farming family, she began her writing career early, publishing her first work at just fifteen, ultimately becoming one of the few financially independent female writers of her time. Over her prolific career, Holmes authored more than forty novels, which often featured female protagonists navigating societal challenges while exemplifying virtues such as perseverance and humility. Her stories, while formulaic in nature, sometimes contained subversive elements that questioned societal norms, particularly regarding women's roles and education.
Holmes's works frequently reinforced prevailing social mores while also subtly critiquing the patriarchal structures of her day, as evidenced in her first novel, *Tempest and Sunshine*. Critics have noted her narrative style, which has been described as ornate yet rich in character development. Despite mixed reviews, her popularity soared, with sales exceeding two million copies, marking her as a significant social commentator of her era. Overall, Holmes's literature provides insight into the complexities of women's experiences in 19th-century America, blending traditional values with hints of feminist thought.
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Subject Terms
Mary Jane Holmes
Author
- Born: April 5, 1825
- Birthplace: Brookfield, Massachusetts
- Died: October 6, 1907
Biography
Mary Jane Holmes wrote nineteenth century sentimental fiction that spanned a time period from the pre-Civil War years to the turn of the century. She was a prolific writer capable of both “catering to her public” and subtly challenging some honored societal precepts of her day. Holmes’s parents Preston and Fanny Hawes raised her in a provincial moral climate and were, it has been said, “of plain country stock.” Holmes grew up in a farming community and, as one of nine children (the fifth-born), she recognized early on the meaning of frugal living and family responsibilities. In fact, at age thirteen she found a position teaching, a career she practiced for fifteen years.
Holmes published at the young age of fifteen, a fact that presaged her literary success and popularity to come—a popularity that made her one of the few financially independent female writers of her era. Her novels, of which more than forty were published, were public pleasers that identified and reinforced current societal assumptions while simultaneously teaching proper prevailing social mores for young women. Her protagonists were invariably female; in her stories, perseverance, honor, respect, humility and other “feminine” values were rewarded with success and happiness. Her plots were often formulaic (the orphan tale, the country versus the city tale, the fairy tale of romance and rescue), but their working out often held some surprises: One critic noted that although her heroines often faced insurmountable obstacles or needed “saving” by men, they were ultimately more interested in attaining higher education than marriage (although they always were rewarded with the latter).
Critics have noted that Holmes’s texts seem concerned with the proper “edification” of her female readers, the clear demarcation between good and evil, and strong American values, such as democracy and a Protestant work ethic. In her first novel, Tempest and Sunshine, the easy division between good and evil is exemplified in the two sisters, one tempestuous and the other “sunny,” who exhibit opposite approaches to life (scheming versus honest) and act ostensibly as a cautionary tale for young women to remain within prescribed moral values and roles designated by society. Yet, as one reviewer suggested, underneath is a more subversive message: The patriarchal attitude and actions of the father of the two girls (the girls are treated as chattel—slaves, horses, and daughters are all on a par) is responsible for the aberrant behavior of the “evil” sibling. It may be that Holmes created her own feminist messages buried within her texts while appealing to the public at large, and this may account for the contradictory reactions to her works.
Her style has been criticized as too “rococo” and alternately praised for its “exquisite characterizations” and graceful prose. Holmes remained, however, a popular sensation and commercial success (more than two million copies sold) and further, a social commentator, even occasional satirist, of American life and the limitations placed on women of her time.