Bruce robbins Flashcards
What does Henry James want us to do in regards to feminism
Be attentive to how we usually read women
Although there are more female characters than male, what makes tots a Feminist novella
The women are unnamed
How could the governess be seen
Either as an unsuccessful femme fatal (a beguiling woman who brings death) Or a stresses put upon middle class girl who is out of her depth
How does HJ want us to do something about the injustice against females
Do something about how we read them
History of sexuality
Oscar Wilde = direct contemporary of HJ + his breakdown was due to his success at the time of his theatrical failure
Why could James HS not be revealed
To transgressive In Victorian society
History of children
Children = perfect vehicle to talk about corruption
History of the market place
Ghost stories would have sold better than ‘serious’ fictions. -James could have disguised it as a ghost story to pull people in, only for them to realise there’s a serious underlying message
What did Robbins say about the point of view of fictional servants and governesses
‘Often been associated with energies pushing hardest to change the world’
What texts are referenced in tots
Amelia and Jane Eyre
(Radical texts pushing towards social change) -shouldn’t ignore the fact that James has referenced them
What are Amelia and Jane Eyre allegories of?
Social upward mobility
How does HJ refashion the Cinderella story
By offering us a darker vision - the gov. Does not move up in terms of class or get the man. More truthful to reality (strips back fantasy and replaces it with actually)
How does HJ push the reader to want social change
Takes away the comfort of a happy ending and shows a harsh reality
What is the govs version of the Cinderella story
‘Frustrated, truncated, unfinished’
‘What happens to the aspirations the reader has invested in her’
What does giving the gov. The narrative point of view do to us
Make us accept her perspective unless we are provided with a reason not to
