The Coquette, written by Hannah Webster Foster in 1797, chronicles the life of a wealthy woman in the 18th century. There are a few themes presented throughout the novel: correspondence, sexual freedom, and ideal femininity. Elizabeth Whitman has been an icon of American history since the 19th century for her courage and contempt for the caged position of women in society. Elizabeth Whitman's gravestone is stated to be a popular tourist attraction; "His grave was a popular destination for New England travelers, who walked the trails to the far corner of Danvers' Old South Cemetery throughout the nineteenth century." (Waterman) The Coquette was loosely based on the story of Elizabeth Whitman, who was born in 1752 and died in 1788. Women were not typically the subject of novels because they were not deemed important by society, so it is surprising when a novel about a woman becomes very popular among the general public. The Coquette was advertised as a dime novel in the late 17th and early 1800s, but in the early 21st century, it is one of the most popular novels about women's liberation and sexual freedom. Since The Coquette is based on true events, there must be a credible primary or secondary source; in this case, the epistolary novel was compiled using themes from the original letters written by Elizabeth Whitman. Only 15 letters remain of the correspondence between Elizabeth Whitman and Joel Barlow, preserved in the Baldwin Family Papers. (Waterman) In her novel The Romance of the Association, Caroline Wells Healy Dall had to personally contact the Baldwin family to review the original letters. This is why correspondence is so important in novels of this period. ...... middle of the card ...... more attached since she lost her life and reputation, the two most important things to her. However I would say the punishments were the same, Sanford also lost the two most important things to him, Eliza and his money. Depending on your point of view, it may be better to die than to live without the love of your life. Works Cited Castiglione, Balclesar. "The Book of Coutier." Castiglione, Balclesar. The third book. London: Norton & Company, 1523. 147-187.Elizabeth Whitman Grave. Peabody, n.d. Photography.Foster, Hanna Webster. The Owl. Oxford University Press, 1797. ebook.Waterman, Bryan. "Flirtation and Correspondence in the Revolutionary Era: Reading the Letters of Elizabeth Whitman." Early American Literature (2011): 541-563. Wenska Jr., Walter P. "The Coquette AND THE AMERICAN DREAM OF FREEDOM." Early American literature (1977): 243-256.