The Legacy of Race, Hybridity, And

MONSTROUS 'OTHERS': THE LEGACY OF RACE, HYBRIDITY, AND INTERSECTIONALITY IN THE NINETEENTH-CENTURY NOVEL _____________ A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of English Sam Houston State University _____________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts _____________ by Valerie Beth Oualline December, 2019 MONSTROUS 'OTHERS': THE LEGACY OF RACE, HYBRIDITY, AND INTERSECTIONALITY IN THE NINETEENTH-CENTURY NOVEL by Valerie Beth Oualline ______________ APPROVED: Kandi Tayebi, PhD Thesis Director April Shemak, PhD Committee Member Deborah Phelps, PhD Committee Member Abbey Zink, PhD Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences DEDICATION For my daughter, Bayleigh, who shares my passion for literature, theatre, and social justice. May you continue to develop these passions as you grow into a strong, fierce woman. And for my sisters, Stacy and Nicole, my two oldest and dearest friends. Strong women need other strong women in their lives: women with whom they can laugh, cry, vent, and eat cheese dip. You have been all of those things for me, and much more. This is “just a little reminder.” iii ABSTRACT Oualline, Valerie Beth, Monstrous 'Others': The Legacy of Race, Hybridity, and Intersectionality in the Nineteenth-Century Novel. Master of Arts (English), December, 2019, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas. In the late eighteen and early nineteenth centuries, the construct of race became fixed in the collective consciousness of Europeans, in large part due to the efforts of Enlightenment-age scientists who sought to classify and define all species. Much of their research is eventually used to justify both slavery and colonization. The racial stereotypes established by these race scientists also permeate the literature of the nineteenth century. Into this world are born Frankenstein’s Creature, Bertha Mason, and Heathcliff, three characters who function as racial ‘Others’ in their respective texts, Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights. However, Mary Shelley, Charlotte Brontë, and Emily Brontë, the three women writers who craft these characters, both confirm and challenge race stereotypes. The first four chapters of this thesis will explore the construct of race and how it is reflected and subverted through the characters who function as racial ‘Others.’ The three nineteenth-century novels that comprise the primary focus of this thesis each present characters that reflect nineteenth-century beliefs about racial ‘Others’; however, these characters are more than just flat stereotypes or mere caricature. Instead, they are so complex, so compelling, so nuanced, that they demand reinterpretation. The final chapter will explore three twentieth- and twenty-first-century texts that have adapted and updated the characters: Victor LaValle’s Destroyer, Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea, and Maryse Condé’s Windward Heights. The three twentieth- and twenty-first-century reimaginings of these characters—a prequel, a sequel, and a remake—are compelling iv enough individually to demand close study of the way LaValle, Rhys, and Condé address issues of race and gender in their own time by reinterpreting nineteenth-century characters. Together, these three texts extend the discussion on how nineteenth-century attitudes toward race and empire continue to impact discourse and attitudes regarding racial Otherness in the twenty-first century. KEY WORDS: Nineteenth century women writers, Construct of race, Race science, Scientific racism, The Other, Racial Others, Othering, Intersectionality, Hybridity, Liminality, Frankenstein, Frankenstein’s Creature, Jane Eyre, Bertha Mason, Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff, Mary Shelley, Emily Brontë, Charlotte Brontë, Victor LaValle’s Destroyer, Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea, Maryse Condé, Windward Heights v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my husband and partner in crime, Jason Oualline: Without you, none of this is possible. You have encouraged me to pursue my intellectual passions and have supported me every step of the way. You are my rock, my inspiration, my biggest cheerleader. I am so grateful to have a life partner who values intellectual curiosity and creative pursuits. To my parents, Ed and Vanessa Green: You raised me to value education and to be a strong, confident woman. Your love and support have been a constant, guiding star for me throughout my life. I learned to believe in myself because you have always believed in me. To Dr. Kandi Tayebi: I am eternally grateful for the way you have pushed me over the past three years: to present at a conference, to pursue a thesis, to see beyond my own limited expectations for my Master’s experience. I started this program as a high school teacher looking to enjoy learning and studying for my own personal growth. You helped me to see myself as a scholar, a critic, a contributor to our field. This past year, you have been patient with me when I needed patience, but you have also given me a kick in the pants when I needed that, too. I could not have chosen a better thesis director. Your knowledge and experience has been integral to my research process, but more importantly, the lessons I have learned from you—both in and out of the classroom— have inspired me in more ways than you know. To my committee members, Dr. April Shemak and Dr. Deborah Phelps: Thank you for the time you have dedicated over the past year to helping me develop this thesis. Your expertise, advice, and support have been invaluable to me. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................. vii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 Race Pseudoscience in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries .......................... 3 Race in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries ................................................ 8 A Monster, a Madwoman, and a Gypsy Devil...................................................... 14 Frankenstein’s Monster ......................................................................................... 23 Bertha, the Creole Madwoman ............................................................................. 24 Heathcliff, the Gypsy Devil .................................................................................. 24 A Legacy of Otherness.......................................................................................... 26 II ‘A RACE OF DEVILS’: FRANKENSTEIN’S MONSTER AND THE IRRATIONAL FEAR OF THE OTHER .............................................................. 28 Race Science in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries ................................... 29 Shelley, Race Science, and Empire ....................................................................... 37 The Creature as a Racial Other ............................................................................. 40 Frankenstein and Enduring Racial Stereotypes .................................................... 49 vii III ‘FEARFUL AND GHASTLY’: BERTHA MASON AND THE INTERSECTION OF RACE AND GENDER ..................................................... 61 Bertha Mason and the Question of Racial Identity ............................................... 64 The Intersection of Bertha’s Race and Gender ..................................................... 73 Bertha’ Triumphal Escape from the Attic ............................................................. 80 IV ‘A DARK-SKINNED GIPSY’: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF CHILDHOOD TRAUMA AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN WUTHERING HEIGHTS ...................................................................................... 86 Heathcliff as Racial ‘Other’ .................................................................................. 88 Parallels of Race, Class, and Gender Oppression in Wuthering Heights ............ 100 The Psychological Impact of Childhood Abuse and Racial Discrimination ...... 105 The Oppressed Becomes the Oppressor ............................................................. 109 V THE MONSTER, THE MADWOMAN, AND THE DEVIL: A LEGACY OF OTHERNESS ..................................................................................................... 116 Victor LaValle’s Destroyer ................................................................................. 117 Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea ........................................................................... 133 Maryse Condé’s Windward Heights ................................................................... 141 Reimagining the Racial ‘Other’ .......................................................................... 151 VI CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 153 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................... 157 APPENDIX ....................................................................................................................

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