Reading 4
Although Elizabeth Stuart Phelps’ novel Doctor Zay (1882) dominates critical discussion of Phelps’ interest in woman doctors , preceding it were many little-known writings by Phelps. These writings underscored the achievements of already established women doctors , the imperative of medically educating and training women in the face of pernicious resistance, and the medical woman’s symbolic value as an agent of healing in post-Civil War America. An exploration of this largely overlooked early prose demonstrates that Phelps played an instrumental role in legitimizing the American medical woman during a crucial earlier period when the number of women doctors in the United States increased substantially(+), but the woman doctor remained perhaps the most controversial new presence on the nation’s occupational landscape.(-) select all that apply 1.It can be inferred that the author of the passage would be likely to agree with which of the following statements about Phelps’ wri...