Servants and paternalism in the works of Maria Edgeworth and Elizabeth Gaskell / Julie Nash.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Nash, Julie.

Series:

Nineteenth century (Aldershot, England)

Nineteenth century

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Edgeworth, Maria, 1768-1849--Criticism and interpretation.

Edgeworth, Maria.

Gaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn, 1810-1865--Criticism and interpretation.

Gaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn.

Household employees in literature.

Social change in literature.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (141 p.)

Edition:

1st.

Place of Publication:

Aldershot, England ; Burlington, VT : Ashgate, c2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Writing during periods of dramatic social change, Maria Edgeworth and Elizabeth Gaskell were both attracted to the idea of radical societal transformation at the same time that their writings express nostalgia for a traditional, paternalistic ruling class. Julie Nash shows how this tension is played out especially through the characters of servants in short fiction and novels such as Edgeworth's Castle Rackrent, Belinda, and Helen and Gaskell's North and South and Cranford, among others.

Contents:

Introduction : Maria Edgeworth, Elizabeth Gaskell, and servants in the "good old days"

Servants and paternalism

"Standing in distress between tragedy and comedy" : servants in Maria Edgeworth's English domestic fiction

"Submitting to fate" : servants in Gaskell's domestic fiction

"True and loyal to the family" : servants in Maria Edgeworth's Irish novels

"Mutual duties" : servants and labor relations in Gaskell's "condition of England" novels

Conclusion : "well done thou good and faithful servant".

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [119]-125) and index.

OCLC-licensed vendor bibliographic record.

ISBN:

1-351-12598-2

9780855489668

1-138-62051-3

1-351-12674-1

1-351-12560-5

1-281-20862-0

9786611208622

0-7546-8748-1

OCLC:

647906147