Beatrice Harraden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Beatrice Harraden
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Beatrice Harraden in 1913
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| Born | 24 January 1864 Hampstead, London, England, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Died | 5 May 1936 Barton-on-Sea, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | English |
| Citizenship | British |
| Period | Edwardian |
| Notable works | Ships That Pass in the Night |
| Signature | |
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Beatrice Harraden (1864–1936) was a British writer and a key figure in the suffragette movement. She used her writing to champion women's rights and challenge old ideas about women's roles in society.
Contents
Life of Beatrice Harraden
Beatrice Harraden was born in Hampstead, London, on January 24, 1864. Her parents were Samuel Harraden and Rosalie Lindstedt Harraden. She grew up to become an important writer and a strong supporter of women's rights.
She went to school at Cheltenham Ladies’ College and later at Queen’s College and Bedford College in London. In 1883, she earned a special degree in Classics and Mathematics. This was a big achievement for a woman at that time.
Fighting for Women's Rights
Beatrice Harraden was a leader in the suffragette movement. This movement worked to get women the right to vote. She was also a founding member of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU). She made friends with new members like Helen Millar Craggs.
She was also a key member of the Women Writers' Suffrage League and the Women's Tax Resistance League. The WSPU only allowed women to join. But the Women Writers' Suffrage League welcomed men and women from all political groups. To join the Writers' League, you just needed to be a paid writer and support the suffragette cause.
These writers used their pens to influence society. They wanted access to male-dominated public and social places. Harraden joined this group as the WSPU became more forceful and exclusive.
She published her work in the suffragette newspaper, Votes for Women'. She traveled a lot in Europe and the United States because of her work for women's rights. She even helped with holiday campaigns in the Lake District with Australian suffragette Vida Goldstein.
Harraden also worked as a reader for the Oxford English Dictionary. This work even inspired one of her books, The Scholar’s Daughter (1906). This story is about people who write dictionaries.
She spent several summer holidays at The Green Dragon inn in Little Stretton, Shropshire. She enjoyed walking and writing there. Her memories of this place led her to write a short story, At the Green Dragon, in 1894.
Her Famous Books
One of her early works was Little Rosebud: Or, Things Will Take a Turn (1891). Her most famous book was Ships That Pass in the Night (1893). This book was a huge success, selling over one million copies!
It's a love story set in a place where people recover from illness. The main character, Bernadine, is an independent teacher, writer, and activist. She falls in love with a man called Robert. After getting better, Bernadine returns to England. The popular novel ends sadly when Bernadine dies suddenly in an accident.
Even though Harraden kept writing, her later books didn't become as famous. She wrote other novels, short stories, and books for children.
In 1930, she received a special payment called a Civil List pension for her writing. Beatrice Harraden passed away on May 5, 1936, at the age of 72.
Beatrice Harraden's Writings
Beatrice Harraden's strong belief in women’s rights is clear in all her books. Many of her stories talk about gender roles and power struggles between men and women. They also explore how people can feel alone in the modern world.
Harraden’s female characters are often strong, independent, and very smart. Yet, they are also kind and caring. Her heroines are not afraid to show emotions that might have been seen as "weak" for women back then.
Hilda Strafford
In her book Hilda Strafford (1897), the main character, Hilda, moves to California to marry a farmer named Robert. After a big storm destroys much of the farm, Hilda tries to comfort Robert. But Robert is very upset. Hilda then tells him she isn't happy just being a "settler’s wife" anymore. Robert dies from the shock of this news.
When Hilda seeks comfort from her friend Ben, he sees her as cold and blames her for Robert’s death. Hilda is shown as harsh by the men around her simply because she wants to be independent. This was a surprising and strong trait for a woman in that time.
Lady Geraldine’s Speech
Her play Lady Geraldine’s Speech was first published in the Women’s Social and Political Union newspaper 'Votes for Women' in 1909. The play is about Lady Geraldine, a rich socialite who doesn't know much about the suffragette cause. She is actually against women getting the vote.
Lady Geraldine agrees to give a speech at an anti-suffrage meeting. But she quickly realizes she doesn't have enough information. She needs someone to write her speech. So, Lady Geraldine asks her old friend Dr. Alice Romney for help. Dr. Romney is a progressive woman who supports the suffragettes.
During the play, Dr. Romney's suffragette friends keep arriving at the house for their own meeting. These characters include a famous pianist, a famous artist, a literature professor, a typist, and a maid. Lady Geraldine starts to admire these independent, smart, and driven women. They all work together to help her with her speech.
Harraden uses humor to show the weak arguments of those against women's suffrage. Dr. Romney finishes Geraldine’s speech by telling her to emphasize the "degradation of Womanhood." She also tells her to stress her "own brainlessness—that is very important." This shows how silly the anti-suffragist arguments were.
Harraden even mentions Shakespeare's plays. She points out his strong, independent female characters. She suggests Shakespeare would support the suffragette cause. For example, Professor Miller in Lady Geraldine's Speech lists characters like Portia and Rosalind. He calls them "women of brain, education, and initiative" that suffragettes look up to.
The play ends with Geraldine throwing her speech into the fire. She decides she needs to learn more about the suffrage movement before making up her mind. Lady Geraldine’s Speech is a great example of Harraden's clever dialogue and intelligence. She used it to show how little the anti-suffragists understood. She highlighted the positive qualities of suffragette women, focusing on their intelligence and acceptance of others.
Images for kids
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Beatrice Harraden in 1913
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Beatrice Harraden's signature
See also
