The seven deadly sins in the work of Dorothy L. Sayers / Janice Brown.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Brown, Janice, 1947-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sayers, Dorothy L. (Dorothy Leigh), 1893-1957--Criticism and interpretation.

Sayers, Dorothy L.

Deadly sins in literature.

Detective and mystery stories, English--History and criticism.

Detective and mystery stories, English.

Sin in literature.

Women and literature--England--History--20th century.

Women and literature.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (360 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Kent, Ohio : Kent State University Press, [1998]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The impact of Dorothy L. Sayer's work is a powerful one. She was a gifted artist who worked in many genres and addressed many issues, but her achievement goes beyond creative skill and variety of range. What she consistently communicates about Sin--the basic problem of human existence--provides a core of content which evokes, as she believed artistic work should, a spiritual "response in the lively soul" (The Zeal of Thy House).Janice Brown examines Sayer's major works, beginning with her early poetry and moving through her works of fiction to the dramas, essays, and lectures written in the last years of her life. She illustrates how Sayers used popular genres to teach about sin and redemption, how she redefined the Seven Deadly Sins for the twentieth century, why she stopped writing mysteries, and her application of the concepts of sin and redemption to society as a whole.

Contents:

""Cover""; ""Copyright""; ""Dedication""; ""Contents""; ""Acknowledgments""; ""Author's Note""; ""1. Unpopular Opinions Find a Popular Voice""; ""2. Why Seven? Why Deadly?: The Development of a Religious and Literary Concept""; ""3. The Shape of Sin: Sayers's Understanding of the Seven Deadly Sins""; ""4. Trapped between Sin and the Cross: The Concept of Sin in Sayers's Early Poetry""; ""5. All Have Sinned: The ""Competent Delineation of Character"" in the Early Novels""

""6. Deadly Serious: The ""Serious Treatment of the Sins and Passions"" in Murder Must Advertise, The Nine Tailors, and Gaudy Night""""7. The Way to Heaven Is Paved with Interruptions: Busman's Honeymoon""; ""8. Startling the World: Prewar Drama and Nonfiction, 1937-1939""; ""9. The Pattern of the Times and the Pattern of the Cross Drama and Nonfiction of the War Years, 1939-1945""; ""10. ""Making Sense of the Universe"": The Last Twelve Years, 1946-1957""; ""11. Courage and Convictions""; ""Notes""; ""Bibliography""; ""Index""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographies (pages 327-335) and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-61277-889-5