The Lamplighter, upon its release, was heralded as one of the best books of the 1850s. It became an instant bestseller, surpassing even Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. The comparison of those two books proves fruitful because they both reveal trends of morality in early New England. On the one hand, Maria Cummins presents protagonist Gertrude Flint, a rebellious orphan turned pious old maid who writes about her love for Jesus. On the other, Hawthorne emphasizes the hypocritical judgement of society through the condemnation of Hester Prynne for adultery. Although Hawthorne's book is set in the past and Cummins' in the present, both authors make a clear commentary upon religious doctrine as is manifest in their own society.
Cummins offers a benevolent and humble perspective upon the religious life. For the less religious, her novel may appear somewhat dense, but actually she presents Gertrude's transformation of character in terms of how the girl is touched by the Trueman Flint's love. He teaches her to value herself and other people and to pay attention to her conscience when making decisions. Because Gertrude had not previously received any love or any instruction, she had based her decisions upon a sense of betrayal, taking what she can because she could identify the wrongness and harm of the people around her. After Trueman's care and tutelage, she grows into a confident, capable, and extremely loving young woman who devotes her time to charity and writing.
As a female author in the 19th century, Cummins faced unique challenges as an author. If Gertrude seems feeble because of her extreme devotion to a virtuous life, then perhaps it is the author's own insecurity shining through. Cummins was criticized for her novel, not because of the content, but because she was a woman writing it. Critics argued that nothing important ever happens in the book, that the plot drags. While this is one interpretation, the other side is that Cummins has attempted to portray the internal struggle of a young woman who is taught by society how to behave and that her value is tied to that behavior. The novel depicts the interior life of a young woman struggling to make a place for herself in a society that doesn't seem to want her. This is the unique and certainly invaluable perspective which Cummins offers in her writing as a female author, a perspective often lost among her male contemporaries.
