Nineteenth-century Working Women as Readers & Activists

Abstract Using autobiographical texts written by nineteenth-century working class women, I identify the most common reasons that nineteenth-century working class women read, as well as common obstacles to their reading and writing. My study builds upon previous studies of working class readers of both genders, which I extend by focusing on female working class reader/autobiographers, their strategies for obtaining literacy, and the impact their acts of literacy had upon their lives.