Elizabeth Gaskell and Romanticism : the romantic inheritance and her shorter works

Wiltshire, I

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between Elizabeth Gaskell
and Romanticism, as shown in her shorter works. This investigation will be
conducted in three principal ways: a consideration of Romanticism as a cultural
phenomenon; a discussion of the cultural environment in which Gaskell was nurtured;
and a critical appraisal of a selection of her shorter works. The first chapter is a
consideration and discussion of Romanticism as a cultural shift which manifested
itself through the closing decades of the eighteenth century and the early decades of
the nineteenth century. Aspects of this cultural shift considered include literature,
music and the visual arts. The second chapter focuses on biographical considerations
with particular reference to Elizabeth Gaskell's family circumstances and the kind of
education to which she had access. The remaining chapters offer a detailed discussion
of a representative selection of her shorter works. These texts have been chosen to
reveal her early collaboration with her husband William Gaskell; her knowledge of
Romantic poets; and ways in which she developed as a writer. This development
shows an engagement with an increasingly wide range of Romantic poets and a
willingness on her part to engage with the darker side of Romanticism, especially
through the use of Gothic techniques. The focus is on Gaskell's shorter works
because these texts have received far less critical attention than her full-length novels
and because of her contribution to the rise of the modem short story, as a genre
distinct from the novel.

Citation

Wiltshire, I. Elizabeth Gaskell and Romanticism : the romantic inheritance and her shorter works. (Thesis). University of Salford, UK

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jul 2, 2009
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 2, 2009
• Additional Information: Additional Information : PhD supervisor: Professor Angus Easson
• Award Date: Apr 1, 2002