ical ▁background ▁and ▁none ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁arist ocracy : ▁within ▁a ▁century , ▁most ▁successful ▁actress es ▁and ▁female ▁authors ▁came ▁from ▁a ▁familiar ▁tradition ▁of ▁literature ▁and ▁theatre ▁but ▁Mary ▁P ix ▁and ▁her ▁contempor aries ▁were ▁from ▁outside ▁this ▁world ▁and ▁had ▁little ▁in ▁common ▁with ▁one ▁another ▁apart ▁from ▁a ▁love ▁for ▁literature ▁and ▁a ▁middle - class ▁background . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁Mary ▁P ix , ▁" The ▁ideal ▁of ▁the ▁one - b read w inner ▁family ▁had ▁not ▁yet ▁become ▁dominant ", ▁whereas ▁in ▁ 1 8 th - century ▁families ▁it ▁was ▁normal ▁for ▁the ▁woman ▁to ▁stay ▁at ▁home ▁taking ▁care ▁of ▁the ▁children , ▁house ▁and ▁servants , ▁in ▁Rest oration ▁England ▁husband ▁and ▁wife ▁worked ▁together ▁in ▁familiar ▁enter pr ises ▁that ▁sust ained ▁them ▁both ▁and ▁female ▁play w right s ▁earned ▁the ▁same ▁w age ▁as ▁their ▁male ▁counter parts . ▁ ▁Morgan ▁also ▁points ▁out ▁that ▁" t ill ▁the ▁close ▁of ▁the ▁period , ▁author ship ▁was ▁not ▁generally ▁advert ised ▁on ▁play b ills , ▁nor ▁always ▁proc laimed ▁when ▁plays ▁were ▁printed ", ▁which ▁made ▁it ▁easier ▁for ▁female ▁authors ▁to ▁hide ▁their ▁identity ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁be ▁more ▁easily ▁accepted ▁among ▁the ▁most ▁conserv ative ▁aud ien ces . ▁ ▁As ▁Morgan ▁states , ▁" plays ▁were ▁val ued ▁according ▁to ▁how ▁they ▁performed ▁and ▁not ▁by ▁who ▁wrote ▁them . ▁When ▁author ship ▁ ― f em ale ▁or ▁otherwise ― ▁remained