"Reader, Take Notice": Aphra Behn's References and Self-Representation in the Epistle to the Reader in The Dutch Lover.

While Aphra Behn's early life remains a mystery, her time in London and her allegiances are very well-documented. The persona she crafted throughout her whole career, which interacted with her readers in her paratexts, has, however, never been fully considered. Investigating the allusions and comments she makes in her epistles and prefaces can help fill in the blanks of what is known about her as well as revisit older ideas. This study explores and identifies the references she made and the communicative strategies she used in her epistle to the reader printed with The Dutch Lover (1673) and what they mean in terms of the self she crafted as a woman writing and publishing in Restoration London. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]