Performativity in Elizabeth Gaskell’s Shorter Fiction : A Case Study in the Uses of Theory

This book simultaneously examines the specific theoretical issues raised by Elizabeth Gaskell’s use of characterization in her shorter fiction, and addresses the larger question of how literary critics ought to use theory. The text gives a history of Judith Butler’s theory of performativity and the uptake of that theory in literary criticism, and also provides detailed close reading of Gaskell’s fiction—both frequently examined texts like __Cranford__, __Mary Barton__, and __Wives and Daughters__, and some that are less often studied, such as “Lizzie Leigh” and __Cousin Phillis__. The book argues that as theory becomes naturalized into the vocabulary of literary scholars, it often becomes more optimistic and less specific. In discussing the naturalization of theory exemplified by the application of performativity to Gaskell, the book advances general principles on the use of theory. It can be read as scholarship or used as a textbook in literary methods courses. Front Matter ....Pages i-xiii Introduction: The Paradox of Subjectivity and the Naturalization of Theory (Melissa Schaub)....Pages 1-17 Strict Performativity and the Limits of Resignification in Stories and Novels (Melissa Schaub)....Pages 19-42 Turning the Glacier: Modernity and Complex Identity in the Novellas (Melissa Schaub)....Pages 43-59 Conclusion: Principles for the Uses of Theory (Melissa Schaub)....Pages 61-70 Back Matter ....Pages 71-76 'This short and accessible study will appeal to all students of Victorian literature seeking to integrate the literary theory of 'performativity' within their close reading practice.' -- Elisabeth Jay, Emerita Professor of English at Oxford Brookes University, UK