Abstract This paper describes Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's book about the role of wives in the American colonies. It also discusses Ulrich's theme that the lives of colonial women were defined by a series of discrete duties unlike men who were overwhelmingly identified with their professions.
From the Paper "Indeed, Ulrich divides her book into discrete parts, depending on which characteristic of woman she is discussing. That Bathsheba should be first is unusual. On the other hand, the name itself means "daughter of the oath" according to Answers.com, and the opening section of Ulrich's book deals with fealty and other concerns peculiar to the Northern New England Puritan way of life. It would seem that perhaps Bathsheba, being self-directed within boundaries, and being thought both a good neighbor and a substitute 'man,' is a perfect metaphor for the women Ulrich is discussing in the first part of the book."
