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Against the grain: Female detectives and "lawyers in petticoats" in the fiction of Wilkie Collins

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Date Issued:
2001
Summary:
Wilkie Collins (1824--1889) changed the direction of English fiction during his lifetime and created the prototype for a new and lasting genre. "The Diary of Anne Rodway," The Dead Secret, The Woman in White, No Name, and The Law and the Lady all exemplify his skill in crafting tales of mystery and detection, and feature women as detectives. He was one of the most feminist of Victorian writers in his portrayal of women as intelligent, assertive and resourceful, as well as in his attacks on gender and class prejudices. His innovative plot devices established him as the founder of English detective fiction. Collins's interest in social and legal reforms, especially of the laws relating to marriage and family, informs his novels foregrounding women as sleuths. Female incursions into masculine domains of law and detection represent a bold departure from convention; his transgressive heroines challenge stereotypes and succeed where men have failed.
Title: Against the grain: Female detectives and "lawyers in petticoats" in the fiction of Wilkie Collins.
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Name(s): Fein, Audrey Caming.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Buckton, Oliver, Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 2001
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 111 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Wilkie Collins (1824--1889) changed the direction of English fiction during his lifetime and created the prototype for a new and lasting genre. "The Diary of Anne Rodway," The Dead Secret, The Woman in White, No Name, and The Law and the Lady all exemplify his skill in crafting tales of mystery and detection, and feature women as detectives. He was one of the most feminist of Victorian writers in his portrayal of women as intelligent, assertive and resourceful, as well as in his attacks on gender and class prejudices. His innovative plot devices established him as the founder of English detective fiction. Collins's interest in social and legal reforms, especially of the laws relating to marriage and family, informs his novels foregrounding women as sleuths. Female incursions into masculine domains of law and detection represent a bold departure from convention; his transgressive heroines challenge stereotypes and succeed where men have failed.
Identifier: 9780493398839 (isbn), 12828 (digitool), FADT12828 (IID), fau:9703 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2001.
Subject(s): Collins, Wilkie,--1824-1889--Criticism and interpretation.
Detective and mystery stories, English--History and criticism.
Women detectives in literature.
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12828
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.