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Reading Henry: The author's role in Henry James's criticism and in "The Middle Years"

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Date Issued:
2005
Summary:
Henry James wrote several works fictionalizing ideas of authorship. No critics have yet looked at "The Middle Years" as an affirmation of the role of the author. Julie Rivkin and Joyce Carol Oates are critics I cite as valuable support to my interpretation of "The Middle Years," a short story that gives us insight into Henry James's critical theory. The story deals with the final days of the author---Dencombe and his creation of a work of art also entitled "The Middle Years." This doubling of the title causes authority over the story to become diffused: the real author writes the actual story, while the fictional author owns both the fictional and actual story. Authority is further complicated by the processes of reading and revision. Through these processes, the author and the reader become both creators and spectators. This duality in combination with Dencombe's identification as the ideal author and Dr. Hugh's identification as the ideal reader grants insight into James's stance on the author's role in a work of fiction.
Title: Reading Henry: The author's role in Henry James's criticism and in "The Middle Years".
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Name(s): Alvarez, Camila
Florida Atlantic University, Degree Grantor
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Department of English
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 2005
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 51 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Henry James wrote several works fictionalizing ideas of authorship. No critics have yet looked at "The Middle Years" as an affirmation of the role of the author. Julie Rivkin and Joyce Carol Oates are critics I cite as valuable support to my interpretation of "The Middle Years," a short story that gives us insight into Henry James's critical theory. The story deals with the final days of the author---Dencombe and his creation of a work of art also entitled "The Middle Years." This doubling of the title causes authority over the story to become diffused: the real author writes the actual story, while the fictional author owns both the fictional and actual story. Authority is further complicated by the processes of reading and revision. Through these processes, the author and the reader become both creators and spectators. This duality in combination with Dencombe's identification as the ideal author and Dr. Hugh's identification as the ideal reader grants insight into James's stance on the author's role in a work of fiction.
Identifier: 9780496971619 (isbn), 13218 (digitool), FADT13218 (IID), fau:10075 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Adviser: Mary Faraci.
Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2005.
Subject(s): Literature, American
Literature, English
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13218
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.