Differing Reader Response Theories in Hobomok

Response 1
Lydia Maria Child wrote Hobomok in 1824. Issues dealing with basic civil rights were problematic, especially because European settlers were establishing land as their own in Native American territory.   But, most of these white European settlers were of the Puritan faith. The Puritans considered all other denominations to be below them, and Mr. Conant refused to allow Mary to be with Charles, a man of another religion. Readers who consider the time to be a time of religious oppression more prominent than racial oppression interpret the book to be a theological debate. The debate being between early Puritans and other religions, and how the Puritans acted hypocritically and wrongfully obtained social class power.

Response 2
Considering the title, Hobomok, readers can interpret the book as an anti-racist novel. The European settlers take over the Native American land, and refer to them as “savages” because they are not “proper”. Mary goes away with Hobomok to marry him because she knew she would be shamed and not accepted if she married a different race/religion in the village. Mary and Hobomok’s son is raised by Mary and Charles, teaching him the “white” ways so he will be accepted. Baby Hobomok completely loses all cultural ties to his Native American heritage. Readers see this as cultural elimination and consider this the theme of the book.


Response 3 & My Personal Reader-Response
Lydia Maria Child did not publish her name along with Hobomok because it was considered a form of prostitution to put a woman’s name in public at the time. One of the main characters, Mary, is controlled by a strict father, Mr. Conant. Lydia Maria Child herself grew up with a harsh father that she was not close with. Both figures tried to control their daughters and implement their beliefs onto them. Mary rebels her father by running off and marrying Hobomok, then again by marrying Charles. There is evidence of gender inequality in both the book and Lydia Maria Child’s life. Because I researched the background of Child, and saw so many similarties reflected on Mary, I interpreted the book as a stance about gender inequality and feminism.