Browsing by Subject "Charles Dickens and drama"

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Autobiographical truth refecting the social truth of male and female subjectivity in Charles Dickens’s no thoroughfare
(Hacettepe Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dekanlığı, 2013) Kurtuluş, Gül
When Charles Dickens’ less known partner Nelly’s life story is scrutinized it can be seen that her life reflects the problematic theme of female subject formation linked with parental relation. In the social world, however, it is the laws of the society that determine the subjectivity of a child. In other words, the world the child exposed to is already interpreted and/or formulated. This forecloses the possibility of becoming either a free or a ‘true’ subject. Moreover, the subject formation of women in society is more problematic than men since they do not have the privileges men have in the patriarchal society, particularly in the Victorian society. Nelly being an actress, a profession she inherited from her mother and her grandmother had an undeniable influence on Dickens’ interest in drama especially after 1850s. This paper dwells on motherdaughter relationship with respect to the child’s perception of subject as an independent being or as a restricted being as seen in Nelly’s life and explores its traces in Dickens’ play, No Thoroughfare. The play indicates how females are defined in terms of their sexuality in society. In the play, female characters, who are fictional reflections of Dickens’ partner, Nelly, her mother and two actress sisters demonstrate subject formation by confining them to the role of Victorian ladies, and displays the widely accepted association of femininity with compassion, sympathy, intense emotional state as well as their mercenary side against unfeeling, cruel and patriarchal mindset represented by the male characters.