Hall, Suzanne (1991) Interpretation, gender, and the reader : Angela

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Hall, Suzanne (1991) Interpretation, gender, and the reader : Angela
Carter's self-conscious novels. PhD thesis.

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INTERPRETATION, GENDER, AND THE READER: ANGELA CARTER'S
SELF-CONSCIOUS NOVELS
Suzanne Hall
Thesis for the degree Doctor Philosophy
submitted of of
In the Department English Literature
of
University Glasgow
of
June 1991
1991
Suzanne Hall,
CONTENTS
Abstract iii
...............................................
Acknowledgements
v
.........................................
Introduction 1
.............................................
Chapter 1: Nights the Circus: Reporting,
at
Reviewing, 34
Reading
......................................
Chapter 2:
Interpreting Desire: Centres
and
Margins in The Infernal Desire Machines Doctor
of
85
Hoffman
.................................................
Chapter 3: The Character Angela Carter's 'Characters':
of
The Magic Toyshop, Heroes Villains, Love, The
and and
Passion New Eve 134
of
.....................................
Chapter 4: The Character 'Woman' the
of and
Question Pornography in The Passion New Eve
of of
202
The Sadeian Woman
and
..................................
Chapter 5: The Liberation the Female Subject?
of --I:
The Magic Toyshop, Heroes and Villains, and
262
The Passion New Eve
of
.................................
Chapter 6: The Liberation the Female Subject?
of
--II:
327
Nights the Circus
at
...................................
384
Bibliography
...........................................
403
Appendix
...............................................
iii
ABSTRACT
INTERPRETATION, GENDER, AND THE READER: ANGELA CARTER'S
SELF-CONSCIOUS NOVELS
by Suzanne Hall
This thesis to for the
attempts account unusual
for interpretation by the Angela
problems raised works of
they
Carter, the
as well as particular pleasures which
It demonstrates how Carter's
provide. self-conscious
in
fiction
the
novels speculate about very nature of and,
doing the
so, challenge conventions which govern way we
interpret
fiction but
not only also ourselves and our
is
The half the thesis
world. second of concerned with
issues difference, the
of sexual specifically strategies
by Carter to demystify the false
used universals which
govern gender politics.
Chapter 1 both Nights the Circus and
engages with at
in to
Carter's
a selection of reviews of work order
the
establish particular reader/text relationships which
her fiction demands. The breakdown the traditional
of
distinction between in The Infernal
centre and margins
Desire Machines Doctor Hoffman is the focus of Chapter
of
2: this incorporates Jacques Derrida's model of
chapter
invagination in its the distinctive
examination of
3
intertextual Carter's displays. Chapters
qualities work
4 demonstrate important technique
and an strategic
employed by Carter's novels to expose and exploit specific
interpretation
the of
reading conventions which underlie
identity, Chapter 3 how four
character, and gender. shows
Love,
The Magic Toyshop, Heroes Villains, and
novels, and
The Passion New Eve, 'realist' mode of
of promote a
the
reader
reading character whilst continually reminding
is in to demonstrate
that
character a construction, order
illusion
the the the of
power of conventions which create
knowable individuals both fiction.
within and outside
foregrounds
Chapter 4 how The Passion New Eve a
shows of
feminist 'What is Woman? ' This
central question, a
the in Carter
utilises gender
chapter examines ways which
those to define the female
stereotypes, particularly used
body, in order to debunk them. It also contains an
iv
the debate Carter's
account of about pornography which
has Finally, Chapters 5
work excited amongst critics. and
6 discuss the New Eve figures Carter's
which recur across
fiction the feminist
and examine affirmative politics
it. Chapter 5 the 'What
which sustain asks question,
liberated female ' Chapter 6,
constitutes a subject? while
to Nights the Circus, Fevvers
returning at celebrates as
just figure. Each demonstrates how
such a chapter
Carter's
work continually anticipates readers' responses
dramatises its fictional Each
chapter
and own procedures.
to illuminate, from
also attempts a variety of
the liberating 'reading ' her
perspectives, space, which
fiction
opens up.
V
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First, I like to thank Dorothy
would my supervisor,
Porter, for her A
close and careful readings. number of
individual
have drafts
other people read of chapters and
invaluable All have
offered critical commentary.
but
their
proffered not only professional expertise also
both I to Elin
enthusiasm and support. am grateful
Diamond, Hugh English, Tom Furniss, Cleo Kearns, George
Kearns, Christine Roulston, Cynthia Scheinberg for
and
their insights, their time, and their care. I would
in
like to Cora Kaplan, who stepped
especially acknowledge
this
at a crucial moment nearing the end of project, and
whose thoughtful and enlightening advice proved an
I
boost to To owe special
enormous my morale. my parents
thank to
thanks for their transatlantic nurturing; and you
daughter Laura Catherine Attridge has taught me so
my who
the thesis have together. Finally,
much as she and grown
I like to dedicate this thesis to Derek Attridge
would
love His
with and with gratitude. endless, endless
patience has enabled me to accomplish what, on so many
impossible.
the
occasions, seemed
INTRODUCTION
Just itself
that to
as anything wants call a
is
by definition, fiction
novel a novel, so can
do it to do. I think it do
anything wants can
things than tend to think it
more
we can.
Angela Carter'
1
John Haffenden, Novelists in Interview (London:
Methuen, 1985), 79 (henceforth to
p. referred as
Novelists).
Introduction
2
Although Angela Carter is
being
widely accepted as
the
among major contemporary novelists in Britain, there
is
little
still very extended criticism of her work and no
booklength
study. Since I began this thesis in
work on
1985,
the bibliography Carter has
of studies grown
steadily. At the time however, there
of writing, are only
twenty-three (in English),
published articles and only
half these her the
of engage specifically with novels;
deal largely her fiction,
others with short particularly
her fairytales in The Bloody
controversial rewritings of
2
Chamber. In journalism is the
many ways, perhaps most
for
productive medium situating contemporary novelists,
there large
and are a number of reviews--the publication
by Carter is for the
of a new work always an event general
if the fiction has
reader even published enticed
few
relatively academics. The quality of review material,
but the
of course, varies enormously, some of commentary
in
on Carter's work is very suggestive. This may, part,
Carter's journalistic her
reflect own skills, and
particular style of writing. Reviewers tend to polarise
3
into those love those hate her work, and part
who and who
2A
the
series of articles about pornographic
tendencies The Bloody Chamber have been published.
of
their in Chapter 4.
summarise arguments
be to the
All to Carter's
references work will
editions listed in Bibliography 1, and page numbers will
be in the text.
given
3
in
is
This reviews after
not always so obvious
Nights the Circus the film The Company of Wolves,
at and
firmly.
Carter's
more
which established reputation
to disguise
Subsequent
antipathetic reviewers attempt
Introduction
3
of the aim of this thesis is to it is
ascertain what about
Carter's
writing which generates such extreme responses.
Many identify Carter
reviewers
as a writer concerned with
transformation
is
and change, whose writing affirmative
and constructive in a way that much contemporary fiction,
particularly fiction by is But,
women, not. although
these
try to the
reviewers specify sorts of change which
Carter's fictions to
appear promote, several also admit
that it is difficult to do The
extremely so. reviews
highlight the interpretation, the
problem of specific
difficulties
that
readers--not necessarily academics--have
Carter's fiction; this is
with and a continuing concern of
the thesis. I have incorporated these
a survey of reviews
into the first draw to inform
chapter, and on a selection
the the thesis. (The Appendix full details
rest of gives
)
of all reviews consulted.
is how
What the demonstrate
reviews most vividly
difficult it is to Angela Carter's One the
place work. of
tasks this thesis is to for is
of account what special
her the tasks this introduction is
about work; one of of
to Carter's fiction by describing briefly how it
situate
differs from that
resembles or of other contemporary
4
'feminist' in Carter's
writers, and writers particular.
fiction, however, her does
work
resists categorization:
their intense distaste for her behind
a rather
work
her
reluctant recognition of writing skills.
4
Reviewers to Carter's fiction
also attempt place
by identifying literary influences; Chapter 2.
see
Introduction
4
fit into
not comfortably
any particular school of writing,
has been different,
and given many and often
contradictory, labels. Lorna Sage that
points out
'"placing" Angela Carter [is] difficult, '5
particularly
Ian McEwan that is 'all that
claims she not assimilable,
to be, '6 Eve
and one suspects she would not want and
Harvey
writes:
In
our compartmentalised, prepackaged world
Angela Carter is
an anomaly, a publisher's
is
Like Doris Lessing,
nightmare. she one of
those defy the
rare writers who classification;
is that
only suitable category unfortunately
litýrary
sparsely populated area where
is the
excellence main criterion.
This difficulty there has been
may partly explain why so
little her
extended criticism of work.
Angela Carter has been 'postmodern'
called a writer,
but this is the term
a problematic characterisation since
describes field
usually a predominantly male of
George Kearns, the
experimental writing. at opening of a
(male) lists
review of several contemporary writers, a
features fiction
number of of postmodernist and concludes:
'Characteristically it has been known to
male, show up as
5
Lorna Sage, Dictionary Literary Biography
of
(henceforth to DLB) (Detroit, Michigan:
referred as
Bruccoli Clark, 1982), Vol. 14, 'British Novelists Since
1960, ' 205-12 (p. 205).
pp.
6
'Sweet Smell Excess, ' by Ian McEwan,
of profile
Sunday Times Magazine, 9 September 1984,42-44 (p. 42).
7
Eve Harvey, introduction to "'Fools theme,
are my
Let be "' in Vector, 109 (1982), 26-36
satire my song,
(p. 26).