The Coquette

This section of Foster’s novel slows down and allows the characters to plan, plot, and ponder. Mrs. Richman emerges as the first foil to Eliza’s character. Though Lucy tends to share Mrs. Richman’s disapproval of Major Sanford, her impression of the events in Eliza’s life is focused through the lens of Eliza’s letters; until she becomes actively involved, she is subjected to Eliza’s bias. Mrs. Richman is directly involved with those events and knows each participant as well, so she is in a better position to advise Eliza. Being a happily-married woman places her in a matriarchal role, though she is evidently not much older than Eliza. Mrs. Richman embodies the element of chastity expressed through matrimony. She and General Richman enjoy a life that is largely self-contained; she does not need to seek the same outside entertainment Eliza craves. Mrs. Richman therefore deems it necessary to instruct Eliza; she tells her that she has “the wrong ideas of freedom, and matrimony; but she hoped that Mr. Boyer would happily rectify them” (30). She recognizes that, despite Eliza’s indecision, there is a connection forming between Eliza and the young clergyman. Boyer would be exactly the domesticating force that would reshape Eliza’s wayward notions of freedom, marriage, and materialism into a more socially-palatable form. 

Unfortunately, Major Sanford throws a wrench into Mrs. Richman’s hopes for her friend. His continued intrusions into Eliza’s life violate decorum and lack propriety. Sanford is in many ways Mr. Boyer’s foil. Boyer’s actions are constrained by his adherence to the social expectations of courtship and by his chosen profession. Because he is on the verge of becoming a reverend, he is under more scrutiny to behave honorably and to adhere to social norms. His upright behavior holds him back. While Boyer plans and waits, Sanford plots and acts. His intrusion into Eliza and Boyer’s private time in the garden serves as a great embarrassment to Boyer, which he is only able to express in a private message to his friend, Mr. Selby. Dignity and social constraint bind his tongue; because he and Eliza are not officially engaged, he cannot reprimand Sanford for occupying Eliza’s time and interest, even though he does not approve of his rival. To compound his difficulties, he must soon leave to take up his position as reverend in a parish in another state, leaving Eliza completely open to Sanford’s advances. 

Because Major Sanford does not harbor any inclination to marry Eliza, their continued interaction puts her at great social risk. In a society where a woman’s value is determined by her chastity, virtue, and virginity, even the rumor of losing one of these qualities can deal her a devastating social blow. Sanford explicitly views women as property, and as a materialistic man who is used to getting his way, his resolution to prevent anyone else from possessing Eliza bodes poorly for her.