Lynne Withey's biography Dearest Friend: A Life of Abigail Adams
Lynne Withey prefaces her biography of Abigail Adams by noting that the first Lady was "a tiny woman...with...a forceful personality that belied her size," (ix). Abigail Adams was, as Withey describes her, a "maddeningly contradictory" individual who defied conventional gender norms during her time, waged fierce rhetorical political battles against what she viewed to be British oppression of the colonies, and was unmistakably at the heart of the changing social and political realities of revolutionary America. One of the proto-feminists in the United States, Abigail Adams also championed similar civil rights causes such as the emancipation of slavery, but like most in her time, often seemed to straddle the fence on both of these contentious issues. With one foot in one world and one in another, Abigail Adams did defy definitions and deserves to be remembered as Withey portrays her: as a quintessential American who held simultaneously conservative and progressive views. As a woman, Abigail Adams could scarce enter the world of politics but alongside her husband she expressed her opinions passionately and often with little reserve. Like most other women in her time, she accepted her subordinate role and "had always established her o
wn identity through her husband's achievements," (267). Nevertheless, Abigail Adams capitalized boldly on her husband's notoriety and power to become a personal advisor, friend, and confidante. The relationship between Abigail and John Adams might have therefore been unique for the times, as the couple cultivated a relatively egalitarian marriage. Lynne Withey thus portrays Abigail Adams in a strong light, exposing both her weaknesses and her strengths. Where history textbooks often gloss over the achievements and significance of female role models in American history, books like Dearest Friend: A Life of Abigail Adams picks up. However, in Chapter Seven, "A Woman's Sacrifice," Withey offers evidence that Abigail Adams indeed suffered considerably during John's long absences, domestically and abroad in Europe. The biographer notes, "They both believed that they endured their personal misery for the sake of their country's cause, that their own happiness was less important than the public good,: (115). The fierce determination of John Adams and his self-sacrifices were paralleled equally by his wife's, although her psychological achievements are less quantifiable than John's political ones. Like most standard biographies, Dearest Friend progresses through Abigail Adams' life chronologically. The first chapter, "A Minister's Daughter," details Adams' childhood, but like any good historian Withey also places Adams' early life into an historical context, offering background information on the Massachusetts town in which Adams was raised. Such background information allows the reader to understand better how Abigail Adams became the woman she was, and how her social and familial realities affected her decision-making and perhaps influenced her temperament. Gender identify formation resulted largely in the
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Approximate Word count = 1224
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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