Street Urchins, Sociopaths and Degenerates

David Floyd

Description

From the notable emergence of orphan figures in late eighteenth-century literature, through early- and middle-period Victorian fiction and, as this book argues, well into the fin de siecle, this potent literary type is remarkable for its consistent recurrence and its metamorphosis as a register of cultural conditions. The striking ubiquity of orphans in the literature of these periods encourages inquiry into their metaphoric implications and the manner in which they function as barometers of burgeoning social concerns. The overwhelming majority of criticism focusing on orphans centres particularly on the form as an early- to middle-century convention, primarily found in social and domestic works; in effect, the non-traditional, aberrant, at times Gothic orphan of the fin de siecle has been largely overlooked, if not denied outright. This oversight has given rise to the need for a study of this potent cultural figure as it pertains to preoccupations characteristic of more recent instances. This book examines the noticeable difference between orphans of genre fiction of the fin de siecle and their predecessors in works including first-wave Gothic and the majority of Victorian fiction, and the variance of their symbolic references and cultural implications.

Sujets

• Anglais
• English
• Idioma inglés
• Literary Criticism

Informations

• Publié par: University of Wales Press
• Date de parution: 15 février 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781783160112
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

Street Urchîns, Socîopaths and Degenerates

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Street Urchîns, Socîopaths and Degenerates

Orphans of Late-Vîctorîan and Edwardîan Fîctîon

Davîd Foyd

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY OF WALES PRESS

© Davîd Foyd, 2014

A rîghts reserved. No part of thîs book may be reproduced în any materîa form (încudîng photocopyîng or storîng ît în any medîum by eectronîc means and whether or not transîenty or încîdentay to some other use of thîs pubîcatîon) wîthout the wrîtten permîs- sîon of the copyrîght owner except în accordance wîth the provîsîons of the Copyrîght, Desîgns and Patents Act 1988. Appîcatîons for the copyrîght owner’s wrîtten permîssîon to reproduce any part of thîs pubîcatîon shoud be addressed to the Unîversîty of Waes Press, 10 Coumbus Wak, Brîgantîne Pace, Cardîff CF10 4UP.

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Brîtîsh Lîbrary Cataoguîng-în-Pubîcatîon Data. A cataogue record for thîs book îs avaîabe from the Brîtîsh Lîbrary.

ISBN 978-1-7831-6010-5 978-1-7831-6011-2

The rîght of Davîd Foyd to be îdentîied as author of thîs work has been asserted în accordance wîth sectîons 77, 78 and 79 of the Copyrîght, Desîgns and Patents Act 1988.

Typeset by Hewer Text UK Ltd, Edînburgh Prînted by CPI Antony Rowe, Chîppenham, Wîtshîre

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Contents

Introductîon Renied’s ‘Agonîzed Confusîon’ Rebeîous Orphans The Orphanîng Isand Orphans of Empîre Orphans în Haunted Arcadîa Concusîon

Notes Bîbîography Index

1 37 61 87 121 151 195

199 245 259

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1 Introductîon

‘Get thee gone. Get thee gone. Thy mother dwes not în thîs cîty.’ Oscar Wîde, ‘The Star Chîd’

Intentîons and deinîtîons

The ‘ong nîneteenth-century’ mîght aso be caed ‘the century 1 of the orphan’. From the notabe emergence of orphan igures în ate eîghteenth-century îterature, through eary- and mîdde-perîod Vîctorîan ictîon, and, as thîs book argues, we înto the in de sîèce, thîs potent îterary type îs remarkabe for îts consîstent recurrence and îts metamorphosîs as a regîster of cutura condîtîons. The remarkabe ubîquîty of orphans în the îterature of these perîods encourages înquîry înto theîr metaphorîc împîcatîons and the manner în whîch they func- tîon as barometers of burgeonîng socîa concerns. Despîte the consîstency of theîr appearance în works of these perîods, the cutura eements to whîch they are îterary responses ater sîgnîicanty towards the century’s end. The overwhemîng majorîty of crîtîcîsm focusîng on orphans centres partîcuary on the form as an eary- to mîdde-century conventîon, prîmarîy found în socîa and domestîc works; în effect, the non-tradîtîona, aberrant, at tîmes Gothîc orphan of the in de sîècehas been argey overooked, îf not denîed outrîght. Thîs oversîght has gîven rîse to the need for a study of thîs potent cutura igure as ît pertaîns to preoccupatîons characterîstîc

Street Urchîns, Socîopaths and Degenerates

of the turn of the century. Thîs book examînes the notîceabe dîfference between orphans of genre ictîon of the in de sîèce and theîr predecessors în works încudîng irst-wave Gothîc and the majorîty of Vîctorîan ictîon, and the varîance of theîr symboîc references and cutura împîcatîons. I have chosen to examîne genre ictîon specîicay, for ît offers non-tradîtîona depîctîons of orphans that are not present în domestîc and socîa narratîves, whîch tend to express a preoc- cupatîon wîth the ‘femînîne’ concerns of the home, the concept of the nucear famîy and parenta înluence. Furthermore, orphans of reaîstîc socîa and domestîc works typîcay aude to economîc concerns and notîons of socîa cass that are not an îssue wîth the in-de-sîèce orphan. Lîkewîse, reaîst and domes- tîc texts predomînanty present the îdea famîy as the reîabe embem of stabîîty to the orphan aspîred for îts promîse of securîty both inancîa and psychoogîca. Late-century genre ictîon, however, whether în the form of second-wave Gothîc, scîence ictîon, împerîa romance or chîdren’s fantasy, înstead îs dîsruptîve and anxîous, offerîng orphan narratîves bereft of the stabe home and deaîng wîth ‘mae’ concerns of actîon and adventure, and îs notabe for îts ausîons to cutura factors partîcuar to the in de sîèce such as degeneratîon, sexua ambî- guîty and împerîa enterprîse, whîch were notabe threats to 2 notîons of patrîarchy and mascuînîty. These varîatîons în conceptîon and depîctîon of orphan- hood were the resut of severa factors. For one, devîatîons emerged în îterary representatîons of the famîy, that unît to whîch the orphan îs întrînsîcay înked; the îdea famîy, that attrahent to whîch the orphan drîfted so frequenty and natu- ray în earîer texts, graduay decîned as a reaîstîc notîon, and even became targeted and maîgned by some authors. In addîtîon, the consîderatîon of other prevîousy margînaîzed igures, such as femaes, crîmînas and foreîgners, atered the presentatîon of the dîfferent and outcast. The years 1880–1911 form the parameters of thîs book for severa reasons. 1880 marks the perîod when anxîetîes

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Introductîon

partîcuar to the in de sîèce begîn to manîfest themseves, wîth genre îterature of the perîod beîng partîcuary symp- tomatîc of theîr deveopment. The earîest text I examîne îs Robert Louîs Stevenson’s adventure noveTreasure Isand, pubîshed în 1883, whîch reveas that those anxîetîes had aready begun to oom on the perîod’s psychîc andscape. The decade examîned în Hobrook Jackson’s 1913 study of the in de sîèce,The Eîghteen Nînetîes, fas înto the centre of my own. Jackson notes that the ina ten years of the decade were ‘remarkabe for a îterary and artîstîc renaîssance’ and ‘a new sense of patrîotîsm’ that degenerated respectfuy înto deca- 3 dence and jîngoîsm. How portraîts of orphans reate to these factors îs part of thîs book’s focus. It îs împortant to consîder the trajectory of thîs deveopment of the orphan igure beyond the turn of the century as we; therefore, the book extends înto the Edwardîan perîod, where I pace partîcuar emphasîs on the era’s chîdren’s fantasy, în whîch rendîtîons of the orphan are partîcuary saîent and reveaîng. 1911 îs the year of pubîcatîon of the atest narratîves I consîder, Francîs Hodgson Burnett’sThe Secret Gardenand J. M. Barrîe’sPeter Pan.Thîs year was chosen as we at the suggestîon of Juîet Nîcoson’sThe Perfect Summer: Engand 1911, Just Before the Storm.Nîcoson dîscusses Engand în the summer at the end of the Edwardîan perîod, just prîor to the advent of the Great War, a perîod that compeed Ben Tîet to caîm that the country was on the verge of coapse, and Wînston Churchî 4 to wrîte în hîs dîary, ‘a the word îs changîng at once’. Coîn Manove states that the protagonîst of the eîghteenth- century nove ‘often inds out what he or she îs, whîe în the nîneteenth-century nove the process îs one of earnîng what 5 one may become’. Thîs assessment appîes as we to the roe of the orphan, who în ate eîghteenth- and eary nîneteenth- century îterature îs often în pursuît of hîs or her true îdentîty, or îs în the servîce of a reform mora aîmed at socîeta împrove- ment, în eîther case sîgnaîng the fuiment of some potentîa. Later versîons of the orphan tend toward a more omînous

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