“a price above rubies”

This is a Biblical reference made by Sarah Josepha Hale in Marriages. It asks “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.” According to the Bible, this woman will be the ideal wife. The phrases emphasizes that a woman is supposed to be good and act as an emblem of kindness, for this will make her valuable to a man. Hale uses the Biblical passage to argue that a woman’s place is in the home, and that she should be appreciated by her husband and children for her goodness. Hale also focuses on women as the preservers of virtue and the teachers of morality within a family setting.

Rebecca Fleenor