Masarykova univerzita Filozofická fakulta Katedra anglistiky a amerikanistiky Bakalářská diplomová práce Kristýna Guricová 2011 2011 Kristýna Guricová 2011 Kristýna Guricová Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies English Language and Literature Kristýna Guricová Queer Plotting in Henry James’s The Princess Casamassima Bachelor‟s Diploma Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Michael M. Kaylor, M.A., Ph.D. 2011 I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. …………………………………………….. Kristýna Guricová ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to thank my supervisor – Dr. Michael M. Kaylor, M.A., Ph.D. – for his kind guidance and helpful advice. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 HENRY JAMES AND THE „QUEER‟ ....................................................................... 4 THE JAMESIAN QUEER PLOTTING ...................................................................... 9 THE „QUEER‟ IN HYACINTH ROBINSON .......................................................... 13 THE „QUEER‟ TRIANGLE OF THE PRINCESS CASAMASSIMA ....................... 20 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................... 30 WORKS CITED ......................................................................................................... 32 RESUME (in English) ................................................................................................. 34 RESUMÉ (česky) ........................................................................................................ 35 INTRODUCTION Might I remind you that the greatest artists and philosophers did not enjoy the benefits of heterosexuality.1 Philip Larkin to Kingsley Amis Henry James is, without doubt, one of the most distinguished figures of the nineteenth-century literature. James‟s extensive collection of literary works encompasses various forms of writing, including works of fiction, criticism, biographies, theatre plays, etc., and his writing has greatly influenced many notable authors, for instance, Ernest Hemingway, Willa Cather, Gertrude Stein, Sherwood Anderson and many others (Haralson 2). Most importantly, James is one of the most discussed writers in literary criticism regarding sexuality, especially same-sex desires and the development of homosexual identity (Stevens ix). This kind of literary criticism is being referred to as „queer‟ literary criticism, and is related to a field of critical theory called „queer theory‟ (Stevens ix). Scholars dealing with queer theory take a deep interest in Henry James because of the sexual subtext and ambiguity of his works, such as his portrayal of eroticism, the „deviant‟ and especially „queerness‟ in the sense of homosexuality. For instance, Hugh Stevens – the author of a study on Henry James and Sexuality – defines James as “a gay novelist, who created lasting fictions which, ahead of their time, explore the workings of same-sex desire, and the difficulties of admitting such desires, within a cultural formation marked by homosexual prohibition” (115). Nevertheless, the question whether James should be defined as a „gay‟ or „queer‟ author, and the way that „queerness‟ should be read in his works are still subjects of discussion among many literary critics. This thesis focuses on one of Henry James‟s major – but not so well-known – novels, The Princess Casamassima. The Princess Casamassima was first published serially 1 Qtd. in Higgins 16. 1 in the Atlantic Monthly in 1885 and 1886; then, it was published as a novel in 1886.2 The novel received various reviews, from praising (“We find no fault with Mr. Henry James‟s The Princess Casamassima; it is a great novel…the drama works simply and naturally; the cause and effects are logically related; the theme made literature without ceasing to be life”) to highly critical (“one of the worst books [no reasons given] by a good writer that I have ever read”) (qtd. in Cargill 116). Alan W. Bellringer, the author of the study Henry James, describes The Princess Casamassima as a novel which “bravely explores the English scene in connection with revolutionary politics,” and touches on the theme of the relationship between art and society (69). Moreover, Bellringer notes the English influence on James in the novel, which is praised as “being in the tradition of Dickens and Thackeray” (126). Another literary critic, Joel Salzberg, implies that James, based on his Preface, never intended The Princess Casamassima to be “a closely detailed examination of anarchism,” but rather that “the emphasis belongs on James‟s exploration of the emotional as well as the social origins of the self, an aspect of his fiction that typically remains muted or allusive” (134-135). Derek Brewer introduces the Penguin edition of The Princess Casamassima as follows: The Princess Casamassima must be read by anyone interested in the contrasts between wealth and poverty, fineness of spirit and vulgarity, terrorism and beauty, as they attract and afflict our feelings. It is relevant today as when it was first published in 1886. Our dilemmas are almost as acute, the agonies, though different, are hardly less, the solutions are as hard as ever to find. (7) Naturally, there is a variety of critical approaches to The Princess Casamassima, and these examples were chosen to provide a basic introduction to the novel. Nevertheless, it is important to mention that The Princess Casamassima is usually not the main concern of „queer‟ literary criticism, for sexual themes in this novel are more indirect and subtle than in other James‟s works. The thesis applies the „queer‟ reading to this challenging novel, and focuses on the analysis of the character of Hyacinth Robinson and of the queer rivalry 2 Since there are several editions of The Princess Casamassima, it should be pointed out that this thesis works with the first Harper Torchbook edition of the novel published in 1962. 2 plot represented by the triangle of Hyacinth, the Princess Casamassima and Paul Muniment. The thesis will endeavor to explain the basic concept of „queerness‟ in the writing of Henry James, and demonstrate the „queer‟ reading on the novel The Princess Casamassima, specifically by examining the queer plot, and then decide whether Hyacinth Robinson can be defined as a „queer.‟ The thesis works with the novel The Princess Casamassima by Henry James as a primary source for analysis. As secondary sources, following literature is discussed: regarding the theoretical part dealing with „queer‟ reading of James‟s writing in general, works Henry James and Queer Modernity by Eric Haralson and Henry James and Sexuality by Hugh Stevens proved to be particularly helpful; then, for the analysis, various journal articles related to the topic were consulted. The first chapter of the thesis provides a basic overview of the queer theory, focusing on the explanation of the term „queer,‟ the development of its meaning and the way „queer‟ is interpreted in literary criticism. In addition, various approaches to reading the writing of Henry James are discussed, specifically regarding „queerness.‟ The second chapter concentrates on the standard Jamesian queer plot. The concept of the queer plot is introduced, including the process of its development. Moreover, several examples from James‟s works are examined, particularly novels The Bostonians and The Princess Casamassima. The third chapter is devoted to the analysis of Hyacinth Robinson, the hero of The Princess Casamassima, and attempts to demonstrate the „queer‟ in Hyacinth. The fourth chapter focuses on the queer rivalry plot in The Princess Casamassima – the triangle of Hyacinth, the Princess and Paul Muniment, and discusses the relationships between these characters in relation to „queerness.‟ 3 HENRY JAMES AND THE ‘QUEER’ If sexuality is to be disclosed, what will be taken as the true determinant of its meaning: the phantasy structure, the act, the orifice, the gender, the anatomy?3 Judith Butler In order to understand the principles of „queerness‟ and a „queer plot,‟ it is necessary briefly to introduce the concept of queer theory. In her study Queer Theory: An Introduction, Annamarie Jagose provides an explanation of queer theory, including its historical background as well as the development of the liberation movements, etc. Nevertheless, first, the essential element of queer theory needs to be examined, and that is the term „queer.‟ To define „queer‟ (or „queerness‟) is quite a challenge, for it is an indefinite term with a complicated history. The term „queer‟ changed its meaning over the centuries; for instance, Jagose points out that at best, it was slang for homosexual, and at worst, it was a term of homophobic abuse (1). Majority of literature on queer theory provides, rather than a definition, an anti-definition of „queer‟ which, according to scholars, better reflects everything that „queer‟ stands for. The modern meaning of queer is perceived sometimes as “an umbrella term for a coalition of culturally marginal sexual identifications,” and at other times “a nascent theoretical model which has developed out of more traditional lesbian and gay studies” (Jagose 1). In his work Henry James and Queer Modernity, Eric Haralson features a suggestion for „queerness,‟ originally introduced by David Halperin (a significant queer theorist): “Queer is by definition whatever is at odds