Shelley Constable | Canterbury Christ Church University (original) (raw)

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Papers by Shelley Constable

Although the Victorians were categorically pioneering in the implication of many radical developm... more Although the Victorians were categorically pioneering in the implication of many radical developments, industrially, socially, and even globally; one area in which variety was rarely seen was in the discourse of sexuality. Critics such as Steven Marcus have acknowledged the existence of sexual ‘others’ within Victorian England, but show how in traditional texts from the period, these ‘others’ have always been enclosed within deviant spaces. (Marcus) Terry Castle, in her insightful and challenging book, The Apparitional Lesbian; discusses the presence of lesbians in literature, and argues that ‘The literary history of lesbianism…is first of all a history of derealization’ (Castle 34). Although Castle shows that female homosexuality does occur in Victorian texts, she also provides evidence that any suggestion of lesbianism had to be ‘derealized’. Over the past twenty years or so, a new form of historical text has emerged, which has come to be known as the Neo-Victorian novel. In these novels, writers have been able to reimagine the nineteenth-century, with the inclusion of previously marginalised ‘otherness’. One of these authors is the critically acclaimed and highly successful novelist; Sarah Waters, and the ‘other Victorians’ that Waters includes in her stories are lesbians. This study will examine Sarah Waters three Neo-Victorian texts; Tipping the Velvet, Affinity, and Fingersmith, assessing the treatment of both sexuality and gender, and the relationship they have with space. In Tipping the Velvet, the study will look at how the protagonist journeys through a number of different spaces, and assess her sexual development within each space, discussing how theatricality is used to conceal identity. It will also analyse how Waters imagines the male gaze, and look at the treatment of Victorian ideals surrounding masculinity and femininity. In Affinity, the essay will examine the notion of the ‘apparitional lesbian’, and how Waters utilizes this concept to uncover the truths it hides. It will also assess Waters’ use of Bentnam’s panopticon, and the way in which the author portrays the entrapment of the Victorian woman. In Fingersmith, the study will discuss the dubiety of the novel’s spaces and how this is significant to the study of sexuality. It will also show how Waters uses intertextuality to convey her own transgressions. The main point of concern will be to judge just how progressive these novels are in their portrayal of lesbianism, and whether Waters succeeds in finding a conceivable space for lesbians within an authentic historical novel.

Shakespeare’s The Tempest has enjoyed a rich afterlife that has spanned from its first performanc... more Shakespeare’s The Tempest has enjoyed a rich afterlife that has spanned from its first performance in 1611 to the present day. The text has dazzled critics, novelists, poets, and even artists; with many important names such as William Hogarth and T.S Eliot finding inspiration in the play for their own work (Vaughan 2). Many of the play’s rewritings have tackled The Tempest’s concern with colonialism, and have often dealt with issues of imperialism and Western domination. Marina Warner’s 1992 novel; Indigo, or Mapping the Waters, is a reworking of The Tempest that deals with these issues, but also seeks to approach the female voice that is missing from Shakespeare’s play. This essay will deal predominantly with the island sections of the novel, arguing that Warner portrays the silencing of a nation, whilst at the same time restoring it.

Wilkie Collins’s 1860 novel - The Woman in White - is usually classed as the first true sensation... more Wilkie Collins’s 1860 novel - The Woman in White - is usually classed as the first true sensation novel. Sensational in form, commerce, and reader reception, the novel inspired a whole new genre which was continued by authors such as Mrs Henry Wood and Mary Elizabeth Braddon. The sensation novel was distinct in many ways; it blended together a number of different genres, drawing on traits from melodrama, gothic fiction and realism, providing something that was altogether unique. Despite remaining top of the bestsellers lists for at least a decade, the sensation genre has met a great deal of negative criticism, and has even been referred to as “trash” (Miller 147). Sensation novels were usually “novels with a secret” (Tillotson 15), and relied on intricate plots with one or many twists, causing critics such as Patrick Brantlinger to argue that they “derive much more from plot than from character” (Brantlinger). Scholars including Henry Mansell and Winifred Hughes share this perception, but in doing so seem to have ignored the meticulous effort with which Collins creates his characters. While the Victorian era is best known for its didactic fiction, these novels of sensation challenged the convention by portraying criminal and transgressive characters that clandestinely resided in the sophisticated homes of the Victorian bourgeoisie. Though The Woman in White provides a number of these transgressors, none are as well-remembered as the “grandly calm” (Collins 215) and “immensely fat” (214) Italian: Count Fosco. Whilst Fosco is certainly the most famous, he is not the only Italian in the text; Collins provides a second continental character in Walter Hartright’s “worthy Italian friend” (11) Professor Pesca. In contrast to Brantlinger’s assumption, this essay will seek to prove that Collins prudently designs his Italians to criticise two established Victorian traditions: aristocratic control over the law, and the husband’s control over the wife.

Victorian sensation fiction was hugely popular and widely read among high and low classes alike. ... more Victorian sensation fiction was hugely popular and widely read among high and low classes alike. There were certain features that these novels usually possessed, such as bigamy, murder, madness and mystery, and there was almost always a secret to uncover. Although the period in which the sub-genre was at its peak is relatively short, during this time the novels were bestsellers. Despite their popularity, these novels were highly criticised by scholars such as H.L Mansell; who said they were ‘preaching to the nerves instead of the judgement’ (Mansel 357). Alongside Wilkie Collins and Ellen Wood, Mary Elizabeth Braddon was one of the most significant participants in the genre, and her novel Lady Audley’s Secret was a major success. In the novel, gender conflict is a major issue, and a driving force behind the plot. Braddon challenges the notion of a patriarchal society, and arouses questions regarding the stability of this concept.