Refiguring the Coquette

Book excerpt: This is a collection of nine original essays selected and edited with a twofold aim: to establish the parameters of coquetry as it was defined and represented in the long eighteenth century, and to reconsider this traditional figure in light of recent work in cultural and gender studies. The essays provide analyses of lesser-known works, examine the depiction of the coquette in popular culture, explore the importance of coquetry as a contemporary term applicable to men as well as women, and amplify current theorization of the coquette. By bringing together the diverse contexts and genres in which the figure of the coquette is articulated--drama, art, fiction, life-writing--Refiguring the Coquette offers alternative perspectives on this central figure in eighteenth-century culture. Shelley King is an Associate Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Queen's University. Yael Schlick is Associate Adjunct Professor at Queen's University.