Sarah Grand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sarah Grand
|
|
|---|---|
Sarah Grand, 1894, by H.S. Mendelssohn
|
|
| Born | Frances Elizabeth Bellenden Clarke 10 June 1854 Rosebank House, Donaghadee, County Down, Ireland |
| Died | 12 May 1943 (aged 88) Calne, Wiltshire, England, UK |
| Pen name | Sarah Grand |
| Nationality | British |
| Genre | Fiction, treatises |
| Subject | Feminism (New Woman ideal) |
| Years active | 1873–1922 |
| Notable works | The Heavenly Twins |
| Spouse | David Chambers McFall (m. 1870–1898; his death) |
| Children | 1 |
| Signature | |
 |
|
Sarah Grand (born Frances Elizabeth Bellenden Clarke) was an important English writer. She lived from 1854 to 1943. Her books and ideas focused on a concept called the "New Woman". This was a new way of thinking about women's roles and rights in society. Sarah Grand was active as a writer from 1873 to 1922.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sarah Grand was born Frances Elizabeth Bellenden Clarke on June 10, 1854. Her family lived in Rosebank House in Donaghadee, Ireland. Both of her parents, Edward John Bellenden Clarke and Margaret Bell Sherwood, were English.
When Sarah's father passed away, her mother moved the family back to Bridlington, England. They wanted to be closer to their relatives in Yorkshire.
Sarah's schooling was not always regular. However, she worked hard and became a successful writer and activist. She used her own life experiences and travels to inspire her work.
In 1868, Sarah was sent to the Royal Naval School in Twickenham. But she was soon asked to leave. This happened because she organized groups to support Josephine Butler. Josephine Butler was protesting against certain laws that were unfair to women.
After that, Sarah went to a special school in Kensington, London. In August 1870, when she was 16, she married David Chambers McFall. He was an Army surgeon and was 23 years older than her. He already had two sons. Sarah and David had one child together, David Archibald Edward McFall, born in 1871. He later became an actor.
From 1873 to 1878, Sarah and her family traveled in the Far East. These travels gave her many ideas for her stories. Later, they moved to Norwich and then to Warrington, where her husband retired.
Becoming a Writer
Sarah Grand felt limited by her marriage. She started writing to express herself. Her first novel, Ideala, was published in 1888. It did not become very popular at first.
In 1890, Sarah decided to leave her husband and move to London. New laws at the time allowed women to keep their own property after marriage. This helped her make the decision.
She used her feelings about being restricted in her marriage in her books. She wrote about women before they had many political rights. These women often felt trapped in marriages that were not happy. In her later books, she wrote about women who found their own worth. They were encouraged by good, self-made men.
Sarah Grand's New Identity
In 1893, Frances Clarke changed her name to Sarah Grand. This happened when her famous novel, The Heavenly Twins, was published. This new name became a symbol for the "New Woman" idea. Sarah Grand and other female writers helped create this idea. In 1894, Sarah Grand helped make the phrase "New Woman" well-known during a public discussion.
After her husband passed away in 1898, Sarah moved to Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Her stepson, Haldane MacFall, who was also a writer, lived with her for some years.
While in Tunbridge Wells, Sarah was very active in local groups that supported women's right to vote. She also traveled a lot, especially to the United States. She went on a lecture tour because her novel The Heavenly Twins had become very famous. Even though some people criticized her work, many important authors, like George Bernard Shaw, liked her books.
In 1920, she moved to Bath, Somerset. From 1922 to 1929, she served as the Mayoress of Bath. In 1942, her home was damaged during a bombing. Sarah moved to Calne in Wiltshire, where she passed away on May 12, 1943. She was almost 89 years old. She is buried in Lansdown Cemetery in Bath, next to her sister. Her son, Archie, died in a London air raid just one year after her.
Her Writing Style
Sarah Grand's books often explored the idea of the "New Woman." She wrote about this idea in both her stories and her essays. She also wrote about problems in marriage. Her novels often argued strongly against unfair marriages.
Sarah Grand believed that marriage could be a wonderful and perfect union. However, she was against the unfairness and disadvantages that kept young women uninformed. She insisted that women should stand up against being stuck in marriages without love.
The "New Woman" novel became popular in the late 1800s. These novels and their characters encouraged political action for women in Britain. For some women, the "New Woman" movement supported those who wanted to work and learn for themselves. It also made them question the idea of marriage and the unequal treatment of women.
For Sarah Grand, the "New Woman" movement allowed women to speak out. They talked about women's inequality and also about middle-class women's duties to their country. In The Heavenly Twins, Grand argued that for Britain to become stronger, middle-class women needed to choose partners carefully. This would help them have strong, well-educated children.
Famous Works
- Ideala, 1888
- The Heavenly Twins, 1893
- Our Manifold Nature, 1894
- The Beth Book, 1897
- Babs the Impossible, 1901
- Adnam's Orchard, 1912
- The Winged Victory, 1916
- Variety, 1922
