Folklore in British Literature: Naming and Narrating in Women's Fiction, 1750-1880Folklore provides a metaphor for insecurity in British women's writing published between 1750 and 1880. When characters feel uneasy about separations between races, classes, or sexes, they speak of mermaids and «Cinderella» to make threatening women unreal and thus harmless. Because supernatural creatures change constantly, a name or story from folklore merely reinforces fears about empire, labor, and desire. To illustrate these fascinating rhetorical strategies, this book explores works by Sarah Fielding, Ann Radcliffe, Sydney Owenson, Charlotte Brontë, George Eliot, Anne Thackeray, and Jean Ingelow, pushing our understanding of allusions to folktales, fairy tales, and myths beyond «happily ever after.» |
Contents
Folklore as National Rhetoric | 45 |
Implications | 63 |
Chapter Five George Eliots English WaterNixies | 97 |
Copyright | |
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Anne appears authors Beauty becomes Bertha British Brontë calls Caroline century Chapter characters Charlotte Cinderella colonial comes contrast cousin creatures critics cultural describes desire Eliot Emily England English example fairy tale fairy tales fancy fantastic father fears feels female fiction figure finds folklore folklore-naming folktale gender George gives Glorvina governess Gwendolen hero heroine Horatio human imperial includes Ireland Italy Jack Jane Eyre John labels lady land learns less literature live London look Lucy Maggie magic male marry mermaid Miss Mopsa mortal mother myth narrator nature novel observes offers once original Ossian Oxford poem poetry position princess Queen race readers references relates represents Rochester seems sexual Shirley social stories supernatural takes texts Thackeray tion tradition turn University Press Victorian Wild Irish Girl witch woman women writing York young