Maestría En Inglés Con Orientación En Literatura Angloamericana
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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CÓRDOBA FACULTAD DE LENGUAS MAESTRÍA EN INGLÉS CON ORIENTACIÓN EN LITERATURA ANGLOAMERICANA The Afterlife of Little Women as a Feminist Text Trabajo de tesis Maestranda: Elisabet Adriana Lanzi Directora: Dra. Marcela Gonzáles de Gatti Córdoba, diciembre de 2020 1 Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………… 4 Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………….…………… 5 Introduction ………………………………………………………………..….………… 6 Interest in the topic ……….……………………………………………………………… 6 Presentation of the classic hypotext…………………………………………..…….…… 6 Antecedents and changing views of Little Women as a feminist text…………………… 9 Theoretical and methodological framework……………………………..……..………… 13 Feminist theory……………………..…………………………….……..…………… 14 Postfeminism…………………..………………………………….……..…………… 16 Neo- Victorianism…………………..……………………………….…..…………… 19 The concept of literature of replenishment ………………………..…….…..………. 21 Parody without ridicule …………….…...………..………..….………...…………… 23 Intertextuality…………………..………………………………………..…………… 25 Hypothesis…………………………………………………………………..………..…… 28 Objectives……………………………….…………………………………..…….….…… 28 Structure……………………………………………………………………..…….……… 29 Chapter I. Denying and confirming the feminism implicit in Little Women .…..….… 30 Teaching Little Women to be altruistic……………….……………………..…….……… 31 Domestic Feminism………………………..………………………………..…….….…… 33 Castles in the air…………………….……..………………………………..…….….…… 35 Vicissitudes on the road to independence……………………….………….…….….…… 42 Androgynous characters…………….……..………………………………..……..……… 46 Gender issues……………….……….……..………………………………..……..……… 49 Chapter II. Little Women in the twenty-first century: Farewell, Little Women…...….. 56 Knowing about the author.……….………..……….……………….….……..………...… 56 Postfeminist issues in a Neo- Victorian text ………………………………..…….….…… 57 Intertextual echoes……….……….…………….…………………………...……..……… 57 Farewell, Little Martínez cousins.……..…….….….……….…………..…….……… 59 The beginning of the story.……….……..……….………….…………..…….……… 60 The parallel story……….……….……..………..………….…………..…….………. 60 Nieves /Meg……………..………..……….…………………....………..…….……… 61 2 Ada /Jo…………………………..………….…………………….……..……..……… 61 Luz/ Beth………………………….……..……….…………………..…..…….….…... 62 Lola/Amy………………………..….……….…………………….……..…….….…… 63 Ada’s wish for autonomy………………..……….………….…………..…….….…… 64 El pueblo………………………….……..…..…………………………..…….…….… 66 Psychological conflicts present in the two generations………….….…….…...……… 67 Parody with respect ……………….……..………..………...………………..…….……… 71 Chapter III. Little Women in the twenty-first century: The Little Women Letters……. 73 Knowing about the author.……….………..……….…………...…….….……..……..…… 73 Minor feminist and postfeminist characters…….…….………….…………..…….….…… 74 Intertextual overtones...………………..……..……….…….………….……..…….……… 79 The Letters which were lost in the Atwoods’ attic …….………….…………………… 82 Matching characters…….……………..……….………………………..……..……… 84 Marches vs. Atwaters…………………….….….………………………..…….……… 86 Not wanting the story to end ……………….….…………………………….…….……… 89 Chapter IV. Little Women in the twenty-first century: Dear my girls…………………. 91 Knowing about the author of an Eastern revisit…..……………………...………..…….… 92 Postfeminist appropriateness…………………….…………………………..…….….…… 93 Adaptation theory meets Neo-Victorian studies……………………………..…….……… 93 Comics theory meets Neo-Victorian studies……………………………………….……… 95 Gothic elements present in the manhwa…………………….………………..…….……… 100 An intertextual palimpsestuous condition………..…………………………..…….……… 101 American little women in Victorian Britain.…...…………………………………….……. 102 Love and family relationships…………………….…………..……….……..…….……… 104 Character of the adaptation …….…………………………………….……...…….……… 105 Conclusion …………………………..…..……….…………………………..…….……… 108 Works cited………………………....…..……….………….………………..…….……… 117 3 List of Figures Fig. 1. Double page panel…………....……………………………...……….……………... 96 Fig. 2. Irregular panels.…..…………………….........……………...……….……………... 97 Fig. 3. Acceptance letter.…..……………………...………..…………........……………... 97 Fig. 4. Multiframe.……………...………..……….………………...……….……………... 98 Fig. 5. Irregular frames..………...………..……….………………...……….……………... 98 Fig.6. Admiration eyes. ………...………..……….………………...……….……………... 99 Fig.7. Anger eyes. …………...………..………….………………...……….……………... 99 Fig.8. Disenchantment eyes..…...………..………….………………...…….……………... 99 Fig. 9. Gothic elements..………...………..………….……………...……………………... 100 Fig. 10. Elevator school..………...……..………….……………......……….……………... 103 4 Abstract This thesis closely examines the classic novel Little Women (1868) by Louisa May Alcott and three contemporary reworkings: Hasta siempre, Mujercitas (2004) by Marcela Serrano, The Little Women Letters (2012) by Gabrielle Donnelly and the manhwa Dear my girls (2005 to 2012) by Kim Hee-Eun. In relation to Little Women’s hypertexts: pastiche, sequel and adaptation, respectively, part of the analysis contemplates to what extent the texts both pay homage to their nineteenth-century predecessor and refurbish it for a more contemporary perspective from a postfeminist stance. Despite the fact that these texts were created in different settings and times, they reveal how the patriarchal authority prevailing in the past persists in this century. The main characters in each of them are strong and resilient women trying to survive in a hostile world. These stories come together as a political appeal for recognition to women who must be acknowledged and empowered. 5 Acknowledgements Above all I would like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Marcela González de Gatti, not only for guiding me through this study, but also for offering her time and expertise over numerous online conversations. I greatly appreciate her interest in my work and her patience with my slow progress at the beginning. My gratitude goes to Romina for listening to my doubts and for spending hours checking my reference list and the organization of the thesis. I would not have completed this thesis without the immense support of my family: father, daughter, sons, daughters- in-law, grandchildren, reminding me that this thesis was not only worthwhile academically, but personally as well. I have grown with every word I have written, and it would not have been possible without their love and support. Infinite gratitude to my partner, Carlos, who supported me in my effort and encouraged me to finish the work. Last but not least, I wish to thank Claudia Ferradas, my Literature teacher, for introducing me to English literature and igniting the flame that resulted in this study. 6 Introduction Interest in the topic This Master’s thesis purports to shed light on the question of why a canonical nineteenth century text continues to generate novel reformulations and adaptations, even across cultures. Indeed, this work is concerned with establishing significant comparisons between the classic Little Women (1868) by Louisa May Alcott and three contemporary reworkings: Hasta siempre, Mujercitas (2004) by Marcela Serrano, The Little Women Letters (2012) by Gabrielle Donnelly and the manhwa Dear my girls (2005 to 2012) by Kim Hee- Eun. The main purpose is to put the nineteenth century text and the three contemporary rewritings in a dialogue with one another to identify the nature of the classic text’s afterlife as a feminist text, with due consideration to the temporal and spatial contexts in which the texts are set. Presentation of the classic hypotext Little Women was written by Louisa May Alcott in 1868. It is considered to be the first book for children in America to break with the didactic tradition of conduct books because Alcott introduced realism and entertainment to American children’s literature. The American conduct book has been studied as a genre by many scholars, among them Sarah Newton, who describes it as “a text intended for an inexperienced young adult or other youthful reader that defines an ethical, Christian-based code of behavior and that normally includes gender role definitions”(5-6). The author further elaborates on the notion that such books “have promoted political ends, have aesthetically influenced female characterization in early American as well as English novels, and have certainly helped perpetuate traditional American views about female places and roles that emerged ... as the ‘cult of true womanhood’” (5-6). In other words, conduct books were likely to contain deeply entrenched 7 views about the traditional role of women in society which offered a fertile ground for Little Women’s mold-breaking project. Alcott had written a series of sensational thrillers that examined the darker side of human nature and criticized the Victorian ideal of femininity as unrealistic and false. One such example is Pauline’s Passion and Punishment, which she wrote before the success of Little Women under the pseudonym of A. M. Barnard, for fear of disappointing her family and friends. In a letter to her childhood friend, Alf Whitman, June 22, 1862, Alcott wrote: I intend to illuminate the Ledger with a blood & thunder tale as they are easy to ‘compose’ & are better paid than moral & elaborate works of Shakespeare so don’t be shocked if I send you a paper containing a picture of Indians, pirates, wolves, bears & distressed damsels in a grand tableau (qtd. in Stern 50-51). Her thrillers are sensational, not because they mention dishonesty, envy, passion, and other feelings objectionable in the proper Victorian female, but because her stories defy the role of female domesticity, or little women. In the fall of 1867, hearing of Alcott’s financial worries, publisher Thomas Niles