EH223
Dr. Temple
Essay #2
For essay two, you may write on one of the following themes. Please use Times New Roman 12pt 
font, and do not include a separate title page. Instead, simply include the following in the upper left 
hand corner of the first page: your name, my name, the course number, and the date on separate lines, 
double-spacing between the lines. Double-space again and center the 
title
of your essay. Do not 
underline or italicize your title, and 
number
your pages. Your essays should be approximately 3-4 
pages long (double spaced) and they are due to Canvas by midnight on Thursday, 12/13. 

 
What does E.D.E.N. Southworth’s “The Wife’s Victory” tell us about women’s experience in pre-
Civil War America? On the surface, “The Wife’s Victory” would seem to offer a bleak formula for 
women’s success. But does the story also critique any elements of how women were encouraged to 
behave in early America?