This thesis is an examination of how authors of the late Victorian and early Twentieth Century de... more This thesis is an examination of how authors of the late Victorian and early Twentieth Century describe the embodied and mental effects of the nature of women's clothing through works of fiction and nonfiction. Through this analysis, I argue that clothing serves as a mechanism to oppress women by eliminating concrete and philosophical access to wealth and necessities as well as by instigating acts of violence upon a developing body through stricture and hygiene. I examine the ways that feminine dress, from youth through adulthood, shapes the way women view themselves, and in turn has a reciprocal effect on how they view their place in the world. I work primarily through the writing of Charlotte Perkins Gilman, but use George Eliot and Virginia Woolf to give contextual contrast to my arguments. In addition, I employ a variety of methods of literary theory, drawing primarily from a cultural materialist and Marxist perspective of embodiment and means, but also diving into esoteric views of literary narratives, fashion theory, and the history of fashion. I conclude that the patriarchal imposition placed upon women's garments is emblematic of the historical, patriarchal oppression. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, a big "no thank you" goes to the Coronavirus, for truly delaying the completion of my thesis. But a big thank you for saving me money on my regalia. My thesis would not have been able to be completed without the guidance and help of fellow Northeast Ohioan Professor David Humphries who took me on without ever having met me, and really stepped in and helped me turn a million ideas into one cohesive thesis. I also owe Elizabeth Macaulay-Lewis and Kathy Koutsis for helping me when I thought all was lost at the beginning of the semester, and also for their guidance throughout my academic career at The Graduate Center. I would be remiss if I did not mention the guidance of Professor Blanche Cook, who has been an inspiration to me at The Graduate Center, a friend, and mentor. I want to thank Professor Elizabeth Wissinger for introducing me to fashion theory, and how it can be applied in more areas than just lace and dresses. And I want to thank Professor Jean O'Malley for inspiring me to explore developmental gendered embodiment, and for giving me the courage to look to myself for expertise in the area. Also, thank you to my husband and kids who ate a lot of takeout as I wrote this, and my husband who bought me a Nespresso machine just for the occasion.
In this paper, I examine the cultural relevance of Bram Stoker's Dracula as it is discovered and ... more In this paper, I examine the cultural relevance of Bram Stoker's Dracula as it is discovered and re-conceived in modern fan and slashfiction.
The atmosphere was redolent of tobacco-smoke, the fumes of which had communicated a rather dingy ... more The atmosphere was redolent of tobacco-smoke, the fumes of which had communicated a rather dingy hue to the whole room, and more especially to the dusty red curtains which shaded the window" (Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, location 2693).
This thesis is an examination of how authors of the late Victorian and early Twentieth Century de... more This thesis is an examination of how authors of the late Victorian and early Twentieth Century describe the embodied and mental effects of the nature of women's clothing through works of fiction and nonfiction. Through this analysis, I argue that clothing serves as a mechanism to oppress women by eliminating concrete and philosophical access to wealth and necessities as well as by instigating acts of violence upon a developing body through stricture and hygiene. I examine the ways that feminine dress, from youth through adulthood, shapes the way women view themselves, and in turn has a reciprocal effect on how they view their place in the world. I work primarily through the writing of Charlotte Perkins Gilman, but use George Eliot and Virginia Woolf to give contextual contrast to my arguments. In addition, I employ a variety of methods of literary theory, drawing primarily from a cultural materialist and Marxist perspective of embodiment and means, but also diving into esoteric views of literary narratives, fashion theory, and the history of fashion. I conclude that the patriarchal imposition placed upon women's garments is emblematic of the historical, patriarchal oppression. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, a big "no thank you" goes to the Coronavirus, for truly delaying the completion of my thesis. But a big thank you for saving me money on my regalia. My thesis would not have been able to be completed without the guidance and help of fellow Northeast Ohioan Professor David Humphries who took me on without ever having met me, and really stepped in and helped me turn a million ideas into one cohesive thesis. I also owe Elizabeth Macaulay-Lewis and Kathy Koutsis for helping me when I thought all was lost at the beginning of the semester, and also for their guidance throughout my academic career at The Graduate Center. I would be remiss if I did not mention the guidance of Professor Blanche Cook, who has been an inspiration to me at The Graduate Center, a friend, and mentor. I want to thank Professor Elizabeth Wissinger for introducing me to fashion theory, and how it can be applied in more areas than just lace and dresses. And I want to thank Professor Jean O'Malley for inspiring me to explore developmental gendered embodiment, and for giving me the courage to look to myself for expertise in the area. Also, thank you to my husband and kids who ate a lot of takeout as I wrote this, and my husband who bought me a Nespresso machine just for the occasion.
In this paper, I examine the cultural relevance of Bram Stoker's Dracula as it is discovered and ... more In this paper, I examine the cultural relevance of Bram Stoker's Dracula as it is discovered and re-conceived in modern fan and slashfiction.
The atmosphere was redolent of tobacco-smoke, the fumes of which had communicated a rather dingy ... more The atmosphere was redolent of tobacco-smoke, the fumes of which had communicated a rather dingy hue to the whole room, and more especially to the dusty red curtains which shaded the window" (Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, location 2693).
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