Learning for “Serious Employment”: Reinforcing the Social Hierarchy Through Anna Barbauld and John Aikin’s “Things To Be Learned”

Authors

Grace Sewell, Gettysburg CollegeFollow

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

2-11-2026

Department 1

First Year Seminar

Department 2

English

Abstract

This poster will explore the role of class in Anna Barbauld and John Aikin’s short story “Things To Be Learned.” “Things To Be Learned” was published in the early 19th century and follows a dialogue between mother and daughter as the two discuss the importance of education. It will be argued that through their use of practical diction, lack of interesting visual components, and rigid didactic structure, Barbauld and Aikin aim to promote the maintenance of a social hierarchy based on class. Additionally, an exploration of Anna Barbauld's own thoughts on female education will be included to develop this analysis.

Comments

This poster was created based on work for FYS-W 124: Curiouser and Curiouser: The Invention of the Modern Child and presented as a part of the eleventh annual CAFE Symposium on February 11, 2026.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Sewell, Grace, "Learning for “Serious Employment”: Reinforcing the Social Hierarchy Through Anna Barbauld and John Aikin’s “Things To Be Learned”" (2026). CAFE Symposium 2026. 10.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/cafe2026/10