Current Search: Sex role in literature (x) » Blakemore, Steven (x)
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Title
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Hawthorne's play on gender and sexuality in "The Blithedale Romance".
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Creator
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Rubin, Brooke J., Florida Atlantic University, Blakemore, Steven
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Abstract/Description
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Feminist critics have primarily concentrated on the character of Zenobia, Nathaniel Hawthorne's premier feminist in The Blithedale Romance, to unravel Hawthorne's stance on the emergent sexual politics of the time. This thesis not only examines the importance of Zenobia but also analyzes the significance of Hawthorne's allusions to gender and sexuality constructs in terms of his other characters: Coverdale, Hollingsworth, Priscilla, Westervelt, and Moodie. In addition, I argue that Hawthorne...
Show moreFeminist critics have primarily concentrated on the character of Zenobia, Nathaniel Hawthorne's premier feminist in The Blithedale Romance, to unravel Hawthorne's stance on the emergent sexual politics of the time. This thesis not only examines the importance of Zenobia but also analyzes the significance of Hawthorne's allusions to gender and sexuality constructs in terms of his other characters: Coverdale, Hollingsworth, Priscilla, Westervelt, and Moodie. In addition, I argue that Hawthorne's purpose is to experiment with societal constructs of gender and sexuality among his central characters, a literary experiment that inadvertently subverts his ostensible traditional, patriarchal perspective. In essence, my reading aims to reorientate the conventional presuppositions and gender conventions that have dominated Hawthorne criticism for the past 150 years.
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Date Issued
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2006
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13353
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Subject Headings
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Hawthorne, Nathaniel,--1804-1864--Blithedale romance, Hawthorne, Nathaniel,--1804-1864--Political and social views, American fiction--19th century--Criticism and interpretation, Women in literature, Sex role in literature
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Format
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Document (PDF)