BASTARDS AND FOUNDLINGS

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Focusing on the cultural meanings of illegitimacy during the English Enlightenment, this study contrasts legal perspectives with everyday practices surrounding bastardy. It explores social institutions like the London Foundling Hospital and analyzes a range of literature responding to these issues, emphasizing the gender dynamics of fictional bastards and foundlings. Through new interpretations of both well-known and lesser-known texts, the author sheds light on the national obsession with illegitimacy, revealing deeper insights into the era's societal concerns.