The Contract

The Contract by Margaret Cavendish is a classic novel that explores the themes of gender roles, power dynamics, and social norms. The story follows a young woman named Lady Lucretia who is forced into an arranged marriage with a wealthy merchant named Lord Derby. Despite her initial reluctance, Lady Lucretia agrees to the marriage in order to secure her family's financial stability.As the story unfolds, Lady Lucretia begins to question the traditional gender roles and power dynamics that govern her society. She is drawn to the world of business and commerce, and begins to develop her own ideas about how society should be organized.Throughout the novel, Lady Lucretia navigates the challenges of her marriage and the expectations placed upon her as a woman in a male-dominated society. She struggles to balance her desire for independence with her duties as a wife and mother, and ultimately must make a choice between her personal aspirations and her societal obligations.The Contract is a thought-provoking and engaging novel that offers a unique perspective on the social and cultural norms of the time. Margaret Cavendish's vivid descriptions and compelling characters make this book a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the complexities of gender and power in historical fiction.But the old Gentleman, perceiving his neglect towards his Neece, and hearing of his Affections to that Lady, strove by all the Care and Industry he could to give her such Breeding as might win his Love; not that he was negligent before she was contracted to him; for from the time of four years old, she was taught all that her Age was capable of, as to sing, and to dance; for he would have this Artificial Motion become as natural, and to grow in perfection, as she grew in years.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.