The Widow S Demise

Life After Death shows how representations of the widow in theeighteenth-century novel express attitudes toward emerging capitalismand women's participation in it. Authors responded to the century'sinstability by using widows, who had the right to act economically andself-interestedly, to teach women that virtue meant foregoing theopportunities that the changing economy offered. Novelists thus helpedto create expectations for women that linger today, and established thenovel as a cultural arbiter. The first study of widows in the developingnovel, Life After Death also takes the next step in merging genre, gender, and economic criticism

Did the expanding economic life of England after the Black Death improve the lot of women, as is commonly thought? This study argues not. It has long been thought that the post Black Death period offered unparallelled opportunities for women. However, through a careful consideration of economic and legal changes affecting women of all social classes and conditions, the author shows that this was not the case, taking issue with orthodox opinion. She argues that marriage at a late age was not customary for women, and that the ability of wives to supplement their income with intermittent paid labour (at harvest time, for example) was not so great as has been supposed: rather, most married women spent more time on unpaid agricultural labour on their own land than their peers had done in the pre-plague economy. ProfessorMate also demonstrates that there is little evidence to support the current belief that widowhood was the period in a woman's life when she enjoyed most power, freedom, and independence; moreover, legal changes were a mixed blessing for women, leaving some widows with a larger portion and a more secure title to land, but totally depriving others. Throughout, the book pays much attention to class as well as gender, showing how many things were determined byit, from what a woman wore or ate to the age at which she married, her power within the household, and even her vulnerability to rape. The late MAVIS E. MATE was Professor of History Emerita, University of Oregon.

An exploration of widowhood in medieval Europe

Talking about death is now fashionable, but how should we talk? Who should we listen to - priests, doctors, cousellors, or ourselves? Has psychology replaced religion in telling us how to die? This provocative book takes a sociological look at the revival of interest in death, focusing on the hospice movement and bereavement counselling. It will be required reading for anyone interested in the sociology of death and caring for the dying, the dead or bereaved.

The author examines widowhood in Japanese society through an anthropological lens. It discusses the history of the Japanese widow as compared her to her Chinese and Korean counterparts. Gender roles, the government's role, particularly in respect to war widows, religion, and the changing face of widowhood today are also considered.

“Charity offers hope and practical steps through the darkness and difficulty of grief into the light and new possibilities of life.” —The Reverend Tracy Fye Weatherhogg Within The Widow’s Survival Guide, Charity Pimentel-Hyams, a widow at thirty-seven with children aged five, three, and one at the time of her husband’s tragic and unexpected death, takes women through the challenges and triumphs of young widowhood. Throughout The Widow’s Survival Guide, women learn: What to do directly after the death of their spouse How to support themselves and handle grieving children, even when they’re falling apart What grief can look like and the symptoms it creates How to create an action plan for day-to-day life Strategies to check in with their heart and stay connected to their lost loved one “A brave and deeply human account of embracing unbearable loss . . . powerful medicine for anyone suffering loss.” —Robin Winn, LMFT “A heartbreaking journey of myriad emotions, love, and loss. I found myself holding my breath through some of the painfully practical details and advice to widows. The love expressed in this book in tangible, honest and devastating.” —Ana-Maria Figueredo, author of The Secret Art of Selling Insurance “Just the right mix of practicality and existentialism . . . anticipates and normalizes the complex emotions associated with early widowhood.” —Megan Greenleaf, MD