Coming out
Posted by Helen on October 12, 1997 at 13:54:53:
In response to Coming Out and Physical Maturation , written by Lynne on October 09, 1997 at 22:41:40
] I wonder how much the custom of "coming out" correlated to a young girl's first menstrual period?
This is such an interesting thought - it would explain something which is left obscure in Austen's novels - and why it is obscure - the history of women being forgotten history because men would never have thought to write it down. It's highly likely that the notion played an element in "coming out" - but at what stage this would be formalised into a merely social rule that 17/18 year-olds would come out is open to question
Helen
Posting followups to old messages is disabled; instead go to the main index and post a new message which mentions this one.
