“Margaret Cavendish and the Stigma of Haste”

Skouen, Tina. “Margaret Cavendish and the Stigma of Haste.” Studies in Philology, Vol. 111, No. 3, 2014, pp. 547-70. http://www.jstor.com/stable/24392579. Accessed 25 October 2021.

Skouen disputes prior scholarship by asserting that Cavendish’s preoccupation with haste is actually a challenge to established conventions of writing and publishing during the early modern period. Prior scholarship has often focused on Cavendish’s apparent timidity and lack of confidence in her own work, thus leading her to apologize for her hastiness and inexperience. Skouen draws attention to specific passages in which Cavendish writes about her own lack of preparation and carefulness in writing. Skouen contrasts these passages with the common early modern obsession with wastefulness, especially as it pertains to time. Skouen goes on to compare Cavendish’s approach with other contemporary writers, such as Ben Jonson, who advocated for a much slower writing process that could span years. Skouen concludes that Cavendish’s willful—and even boastful—style of rushed and bountiful publishing is a direct and intentional contradiction to established contemporary practices. By so doing, Skouen argues, Cavendish carves out a distinct and unmistakable place for herself among other authors of her day.

--Amanda Fetters