• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

THE COLLECTION: INTEGRATING ATTACHMENT THEORY AND THEORIES OF INTERGENERATIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO WRITE A WOMAN'S LIFE by BRIANNA JENÉ GRANTHAM A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of FiLm and Creative Writing SchooL of EngLish, Drama and American & Canadian Studies CoLLege of Arts and Law University of Birmingham August 2016 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT The Collection tells the story of Barbara, a fifty-something, Christian, teacher, wife, and mother, as she is forced to return home after her estranged father's death. Named executrix of his estate, Barbara navigates famiLy secrets, repressed chiLdhood trauma, and her mentaLLy iLL father's Legacy. Using Attachment Theory and IntergenerationaL Theories of PersonaL DeveLopment, this research discusses the deveLopment and reLationships of the characters in The Collection to demonstrate the connections between their child and adult selves—specificaLLy, the role of Barbara's parents and chiLdhood in her suppressed anger. Framed within the context of CaroLyn G. HeiLbrun's feminist critique of women writers and women characters, this paper connects socio-psychological theories to investigate how the patriarchaL gender norms Barbara's mother instiLLed in her daughter resuLt in Barbara's suppressed anger, strained interpersonal relationships and adult reLigiosity. The reLationship between aduLt Barbara and her aging mother is discussed in context of these theories and compared against women characters in Siri Hustvedt's The Blazing World and EliZabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge. FinaLLy, the paper calls for further research into and understanding of the causes and effects of women's anger, as weLL as an essentiaL shift in how both men and women are permitted to express emotions. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A number of peopLe have pLayed significant roLes in heLping me to compLete this project, without whose encouragement, support, and feedback it wouLd simpLy not have been possibLe. I wouLd particuLarLy Like to thank the Creative Writing cohort, a number of whom have become dear friends over the Last four years. Despite spending most of our time together via Skype, emaiL, or Facebook commiseration, I can absoLuteLy say that this wouLd not have happened without you. RacheL, you have truLy become my British twin and I Look forward to drinking many future gLasses of wine together and reading all of your future books (and perhaps writing a collaboration). Rachel New, thank you aLways for your wit, wisdom, and tough Love—you never fail to raise my spirits and I hope aLways to return the favor. Tom and Ed, you've both become two of my favorite peopLe—separateLy and together; pLease never conform to ordinary. I would also like to express my heartfeLt gratitude to my supervisors, Dr. Richard House and Dr. Elsa Brekkan Payne. Working with both of you has been an honor and a pLeasure, and I wiLL miss our Skype sessions, emaiLs, and annuaL Starbucks chats. Your confidence in me, in the noveL, and in my research was invaLuabLe. I have Learned more from you than you reaLiZe. Richard, you have become a friend, as weLL as a trusted advisor. ELsa, I hope our paths continue to cross in the future—we always have the best conversations, and I love your book recommendations. The CALPG staff and the entire facuLty of the Creative Writing Department have been invaLuabLe. You made me feeL at home during each visit to campus and sad at each departure. I wiLL truLy miss my faLL visits to Brum. To my friends, Loved ones, and famiLy who toLerantLy Listened to me wax eLoquent about my research: thank you. Your unwavering conviction (often despite your compLete and utter confusion as to what I was rambLing about) heLped to push me through some of the most chaLLenging stages. I am eternaLLy gratefuL for aLL the times you Let me off the hook for canceLLing pLans Last minute, Leaving earLy, or disappearing for months at a time: Sarah, I promise to come out to pLay now. (Adrian, now I can write your scifi book). To Catherine, Erin, and Alyson: thank you for the countLess times you caLLed me out on giving in to fear. You've heLped me change my perspective—without that shift, I might have given in Long ago. Tracy, thank you not only for reading one of the earLiest drafts of my noveL, but for taking the time to read it again. I cannot thank my parents enough. Without your financiaL and emotionaL support, I couLd not have done this. There wiLL now be two Drs. Grantham in the famiLy, mom. Titan the Wondercat: you're a terrible research assistant, but you're great for stress relief, purrs, and cuddles. LastLy, to my other haLf: Thank you for your patience time and again, for doing everything in your power to support my mentaL and emotionaL stabiLity, for never doubting me (even when I did), and always for making me Laugh when I need it most. BLarg. TABLE OF CONTENTS THE COLLECTION: A NOVEL ............................................................................................................... 1 1. INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL THESIS .................................................................................. 274 2. THE COLLECTION: AIMS AND GOALS OF THE NOVEL ....................................................... 281 3. CHILDREN AND PARENTS: ATTACHMENT THEORY AND THEORIES OF INTERGENERATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................... 287 3.1 ATTACHMENT THEORY: BRIEF OVERVIEW AND HISTORY .................................................................. 287 3.2 ATTACHMENT THEORY: APPLICATION & EFFICACY ............................................................................. 293 3.3 ATTACHMENT THEORY: STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES ........................................................................ 297 3.4 INTERGENERATIONAL THEORIES OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT ...................................................... 299 3.5 ADULT CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS IN THEORY, MEMOIR, AND FICTION ................................ 306 4. WOMEN, WRITING, AND CAROLYN HEILBRUN .................................................................. 311 4.1 WRITING A WOMAN'S LIFE AND REINVENTING WOMANHOOD: THE FEMINISM OF CAROLYN G. HEILBRUN ............................................................................................................................................................ 314 4.2 HEILBRUN AND THE TABOO EXPRESSION OF WOMEN'S ANGER ........................................................ 317 4.3 WOMEN'S ANGER BEYOND HEILBRUN ................................................................................................... 318 5. REAL, ANGRY WOMEN IN LITERATURE ................................................................................ 329 5.1 THE BLAZING WORLD AND THE COLLECTION: AN EXPLORATION OF ONE WOMAN'S MONSTROUS ANGER ................................................................................................................................................................... 331 5.2 OLIVE KITTERIDGE AND THE COLLECTION: ANGER AS A MASK ........................................................ 344 5.3 THE COLLECTION: SUPPRESSED ANGER ................................................................................................. 353 6. WOMEN, ATTACHMENT, AND FAMILY IN THE COLLECTION ......................................... 363 6.1 MOTHER AND DAUGHTER: ATTACHMENT THEORY AND PATRIARCHY ............................................ 363 6.2 RELIGION AS ATTACHMENT ...................................................................................................................... 374 7. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................. 380 APPENDIX: GOOGLE SEARCH RESULTS "WOMEN + ANGER" .............................................. 385 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................. 387 LIST OF TABLES TabLe 1: GoogLe Search ResuLts "women + anger" 324 LIST OF DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS APA: American Psychiatric Association (aLso the American PsychoLogicaL Association) Attachment Theory: PsychoLogicaL theory focused on the nature of a person's childhood attachment to their mother, created by John BowLby BPD: BorderLine PersonaLity Disorder is a condition marked by "A pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonaL relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impuLsivity beginning by earLy aduLthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more)" features outLined by the DSM-IV (qtd. by Krawitz and Jackson 38; see also Lawson xi) DSM-IV: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (APA) Hermit, Waif, Queen, and Witch BPD ProfiLes: Christine Anne Lawson characteriZes mothers with BPD into four distinct profiLes based on the dominant expression of their BPD and named after fairytaLe tropes (Lawson

Load more

  407

Copy Link