Department or Program
English
Abstract
A working relationship between a male and a female novelist in the Victorian era begs exploration, especially when the man’s name is Charles Dickens. When Dickens rallied up-and-coming talent Elizabeth Gaskell in 1850 to write for Household Words, they forged a literary connection that illuminates their different perspectives on and approaches to fiction and contemporary social issues – from authorship and publication, to labor unrest and class struggle, to gender roles. This thesis investigates the ebb and flow of the Dickens-Gaskell relationship by examining their correspondence, their novels, and their historical context. Theirs is not the expected tale of a master and pupil, but a complex story of a shifting power dynamic between the famous “conductor” of Victorian literature and a woman author who quietly dared to disagree with him.
Level of Access
Restricted: Campus/Bates Community Only Access
Date of Graduation
Spring 5-2012
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Recommended Citation
Rouvalis, Maria J., "Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell: Authorship, Collaboration, and Divergence" (2012). Honors Theses. 42.
https://scarab.bates.edu/honorstheses/42
Number of Pages
146
Components of Thesis
1 PDF file
Embargoed
Restricted
Available to Bates community via local IP address or Bates login.