“Taken from the Life” Mimetic Truth and Ekphrastic Eloquence in the Writings of Anna Maria Fielding Hall (1800-1881)
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“Taken from the Life” Mimetic Truth and Ekphrastic Eloquence in the Writings of Anna Maria Fielding Hall (1800-1881). Marian Thérèse Keyes B.A., M.A., DipLis A thesis submitted towards a PhD in Humanities (English) St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. Supervisor : Dr Mary Shine Thompson Auxiliary Supervisor : Celia Keenan Department : English August 2010 I hereby certify that this material, which I now submit for assessment on the programme of study leading to the award of PhD is entirely my own work and has not been taken from the work of others save and to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of my work. Signed : 'tU .c ^ J s g g 1<L Marian Thérèse Keyes ID No 57263736 Date 2 Ccl a o I o 3 August 2010 Contents Contents Page Contents 1 Abstract 4 Acknowledgements 5 List of Illustrations 6 1. Introduction 13 Preamble 13 Contexts: Personal 14 Contexts: Biographical 15 Contexts: Cultural 18 Contexts: Critical 20 Conceptual Framework and Overview of Chapters 24 Conceptual: Nationality, Childhood and Gender 25 Conceptual: Ekphrasis 29 Conceptual: Mimesis 32 Conceptual: Chapter Outline and Rationale 35 Formal Elements 41 Formal: Narrator's Voice 41 Formal: Settings 43 Formal: Characters 44 Formal: Plots and Themes 46 Formal: Language and Dialect 47 Formal: Genre 49 Formal: The Editorial Question 50 Methodology 51 Methodology: Technical Matters 53 Conclusion 55 2. Ekphrasis and Mimesis: Hall and the Search for “Truth” through Art 69 Introduction 69 The Halls as Art Collectors and Their Association with Artists 72 The Aesthetics of the 1830s and the Early Victorian Period 78 Hall’s Publications and the Relationship of Illustration to Text 84 The Use of Ekphrasis in Hall’s Non-lllustrated Texts 85 The Primacy of Art Works with Hall's Texts as Accompaniment 92 Publications Illustrated in Later Editions of Hall’s Work 101 Publications Illustrated Simultaneously with Hall’s Texts 110 Conclusion 120 3. “Taken from the Life.” Mimesis and Mimicry in Hall’s Portraits 135 of the Irish Introduction 135 Hall’s Early Writings and Her Use of the “Sketch” 138 Influential Authors 142 Phrenology, Physiognomy and Negative Stereotypes 148 Hall’s Anglo-Irish Identity 160 Illustrating Hall’s Irish Publications 164 Images of Ireland: The Irish Cabin 167 Images of Ireland: Idealised Irish Women 172 Images of Ireland: Beggars and “Gaberlunzies” 179 Conclusion 182 1 Contents 4. Mimicry and Modelling: Didacticism and Fantasy in Hall’s School, 196 Animal, Fairy and Ghost Stories for Children Introduction 196 Mimesis and Social Learning Theory 197 Contemporary Concepts of Education Influencing Hall 199 Hall’s Childhood Experiences of Education 208 School Stories and Governess Stories: Introduction 214 Education for Women: Home or Away 215 Hall and Dickens: An Important Letter 218 Governesses 220 Animal Stories: Introduction: Hall’s Love of Animals 226 Metaphoric Animal Stories 227 Heroic Animal Stories 230 Factual Writings about Animals 231 Anthropomorphic Stories 232 Pet Memorials 233 Cruelty to Animals 233 Fantasy and Fairytales: Introduction 235 The Arrival of the Literary Fairytale 236 Case Study: Midsummer Eve: Setting 240 Case Study: Midsummer Eve: Narrative 244 Case Study: Midsummer Eve: Illustrations 251 Spiritualism and Ghost Stories 256 Spiritualism 257 Ghost Stories 258 Conclusion 263 5. Mimesis as Empowerment and Ekphrasis as Hall’s Écriture Féminine-. 286 Gender Issues in Hall’s Writings Introduction 286 Samuel Carter Hall: A Professional Partnership 289 Samuel Carter Hall: A Personal Relationship 297 “A Life of no Light Toil:” Hall the Professional Writer and Editor 303 The Communality of Women 317 Conclusion 329 6. Case Study: Nationality, Gender and Childhood in Hall’s Writings for 341 the Firm of W. & R. Chambers, Edinburgh Introduction 341 Chambers’s Edinburgh Journal: Ethos and Hall’s Role in Fulfilling It 342 Stories of the Irish Peasantry 347 Chambers's Miniature Library of Fiction 354 Chambers’s Library for Young People 361 Conclusion 374 7. Conclusion 385 Chapter Analysis and Key Points 385 Hall as an Innovator 389 Hall’s Constraints 392 Hall and the “Fearful Realities” of the Irish Situation 394 Caveats, Contributions and the Way Forward 397 Bibliography 404 2 Contents Appendices Appendix A : Portraits of Anna Maria Hall Appendix B : Artists who Illustrated Hall’s Works Appendix C : Select List of Hall's Ekphrastic Writings Appendix D : Sale Catalogue 2 May 1889 Appendix E : Select References to Children’s Books Read by Hall as a Child or Referenced in her Stories Appendix F : Letter from Charles Dickens to Hall, 29 December 1838 Appendix G : Hall’s Letter (undated) Providing the Background to her Stories of the Irish Peasantry Appendix H : Manuscript Title Page of “Waking Dreams” [1843] by Hall Appendix I : Chambers’s Library for Young People. Select Figures Appendix J : Uncle Sam’s Monev-Box. Select Figures Appendix K : Hall’s The Juvenile Forget-Me-Not Appendix L : Screenshots from www.annamariafieldinghall.com 3 Abstract “Taken from the life”: Mimetic Truth and Ekphrastic Eloquence in the Writings of Anna Maria Fielding Hall (1800-1881) By Marian Thérèse Keyes Anna Maria Fielding Hall (1800-1881) spent her early formative years in Wexford before moving permanently to London where, in 1824 she married Irish man of letters Samuel Carter Hall. As a result of their wide-ranging literary and editorial partnership, they became an influential couple in artistic circles in London. This dissertation focuses on a selection of Anna Maria Hall’s publications that were illustrated by a diverse range of artists, with a particular emphasis on those texts that reveal her perceptions of nationality, childhood and gender. It proposes to evaluate the texts’ relationship to visual art, the degree to which they embody Hall’s didactic aims, and the extent to which the visual qualities of her writings engaged the reader. It is informed by the dual concepts of mimesis, the imitation of nature through art, and ekphrasis, the verbal representation of the visual arts. The varied ways of interpreting mimesis, not least, notions of mimicry, imitation and otherness, inform and mediate the colonial, didactic and gendered elements of her writings. This approach facilitates a fresh and nuanced assessment of Hall’s reputation, taking into account the pivotal role visual art plays in her writing, the diversity of genres explored in her children’s books, the economic factors which often dictated her literary output and her complex ambivalence towards her Anglo-Irish identity. The exploration of ekphrasis and mimesis in the dissertation is organised into seven chapters that address the dialectic between word and image; Hall as cultural interpreter of Ireland; morality and fantasy in her children’s books; the challenges of the publishing world for a woman writer and editor; and a case study of her publications for one major publisher, W. & R. Chambers, Edinburgh. 4 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements This dissertation would not have come to fruition without the support and encouragement of many people. I owe an enormous debt to my wonderful supervisor, Dr Mary Shine Thompson who guided, inspired and motivated me every step along the way. Her unfailing enthusiasm and belief in my work kept me focused at all times and I have the utmost regard for her high standards, intellectual rigour and total professionalism. Under her tutelage, the three-year study was one of intense learning and excitement, and I gained many valuable skills in the discipline of academic research. My auxiliary supervisor, Celia Keenan, generously commented on my thesis at various stages and she facilitated my attendance at the M. A. research seminars. My thanks are due to other lecturers at St. Patrick’s: Dr Carole Dunbar, Tom Halpin and Prof. Mark Morgan for his advice on social learning theory. Many other individuals and fellow students helped in a variety of ways either through organising relevant conferences or sharing ideas and friendship: Gaye Ashford, Audrey Baker, Rosi Beech, Dr Pat Brereton, Anne Marie Byrne, Jane Carroll, Valerie Coghlan, Gill Colton for her generosity and expertise In helping me set up the website, Eimear Hegarty, Anne Marie Herron, Dr Patricia Kennon, Ken Mawhinney, Pat McKenna, Dr Paula Murphy, Beth Rodgers, Deirdre Shortall, the students of the M. A. Children’s Literature Programme 2007-2009, and all those involved with Children’s Books Ireland, the Irish Society for the Study of Children’s Literature and especially the Irish Postgraduate Children’s Literature Network. I would also like to thank the staff at the following institutions for their help and assistance: Boston Public Library, British Library, Digital Humanities Observatory, Dublin City Public Libraries, my colleagues at Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Public Libraries, Iowa University Libraries, my former colleagues at the National Art Library London, National Gallery of Ireland, National Library of Ireland, National Library of Scotland especially Eoin Shalloo, National Portrait Gallery London, Public Record Office Belfast, Princeton University Library, Royal Irish Academy, St. Patrick’s College Library especially Liam O’Dwyer for sourcing the extra databases and Genevieve Larkin for all the Inter-Library Loans, and Trinity College Dublin, in particular, Charles Benson and all the staff in the Early Printed Books Dept. I also acknowledge with gratitude the funding I received from the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) from 2008-2010. My final words of gratitude are reserved for my family, my wonderful parents Teresa and Tom, who always encouraged my interest in education and supported my frequent career changes in the pursuit of knowledge and a deeper understanding of the world. Thanks to my brother Matt and his family for all their encouragement. My brother Joe has been incredibly helpful throughout, not only with things technical but his good humour and logical approach to everything preserved my sanity.