In each of Fanny Fern's three works of fiction (Ruth Hall, "Fanny Ford," and Rose Clark), the title character is a very passive female. In the past, this has hindered people from studying these works, since a passive character is hard to become interested in. This thesis examines exactly that feature of each of these characters and attempts to show that Fanny Fern created these characters deliberately and subversively, in an attempt to show exactly how limiting and unbelievable the ideal of the "true woman" actually was. Special attention is paid to "Fanny Ford" and Rose Clark, which have been neglected by most critics in recent years. A comprehensive bibliography of Fanny Fern resources is appended.