Rewriting Christina Rossetti : cross-gendered sibling rivalry, fraternal intervention and the counter-poetics of dissidence

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dc.contributor.authorMoffett, Helenen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2016-09-28T19:03:19Z
dc.date.available2016-09-28T19:03:19Z
dc.date.issued1993en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography: pages 355-372.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractDante Gabriel Rossetti and William Michael Rossetti, paying especial attention to unravelling the received tradition that as an artist, Rossetti was indebted to Dante Gabriel's patronage. Instead, I argue that she negotiated her career as a poet against a covertly competitive backdrop of sibling rivalry, in which Dante Gabriel made strenuous efforts to direct and control her creative work. This thesis also examines and challenges the myths that William Michael set in motion as his sister's initial editor and biographer, and which still inform our perception of her as a poet and as a sister. I also investigate her standing regarding the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a relation which is more problematic than is generally believed, maintaining that she was excluded from equal membership within this glamorous circle while simultaneously strategically important to them, both as a poet and a model. Clearly, the various misrepresentations of Rossetti's life and works are gendered. I employ the tools of feminist literary practice and new historicism in order to reveal the extent to which the treatment of Rossetti both by her brothers and various critics, has reflected patriarchal pressures and strictures. Primary manuscripts, some unpublished, or published in censored versions, are scrutinised and pieced together in an attempt to present a more accurate view of both Rossetti's relationships with the men in her life, and her own sense of herself as a poet. Close attention is also paid to the singularity of her personal history, which was underscored by her strong sense of poetic vocation. This attempt to rework the traditional picture of Christina Rossetti provides significant new perspectives on and readings of her canon, and her brother's. I trace patterns in her poetry which are related to her struggle for creative agency in the face of fraternal intervention, and propose a model of dialogic interrogation for re-reading significant texts. I conclude that a comparative study of intertextuality between the Rossettis contributes vitally to the further understanding of both poets.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationMoffett, H. (1993). <i>Rewriting Christina Rossetti : cross-gendered sibling rivalry, fraternal intervention and the counter-poetics of dissidence</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of English Language and Literature. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21974en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationMoffett, Helen. <i>"Rewriting Christina Rossetti : cross-gendered sibling rivalry, fraternal intervention and the counter-poetics of dissidence."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of English Language and Literature, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21974en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationMoffett, H. 1993. Rewriting Christina Rossetti : cross-gendered sibling rivalry, fraternal intervention and the counter-poetics of dissidence. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Moffett, Helen AB - Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Michael Rossetti, paying especial attention to unravelling the received tradition that as an artist, Rossetti was indebted to Dante Gabriel's patronage. Instead, I argue that she negotiated her career as a poet against a covertly competitive backdrop of sibling rivalry, in which Dante Gabriel made strenuous efforts to direct and control her creative work. This thesis also examines and challenges the myths that William Michael set in motion as his sister's initial editor and biographer, and which still inform our perception of her as a poet and as a sister. I also investigate her standing regarding the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a relation which is more problematic than is generally believed, maintaining that she was excluded from equal membership within this glamorous circle while simultaneously strategically important to them, both as a poet and a model. Clearly, the various misrepresentations of Rossetti's life and works are gendered. I employ the tools of feminist literary practice and new historicism in order to reveal the extent to which the treatment of Rossetti both by her brothers and various critics, has reflected patriarchal pressures and strictures. Primary manuscripts, some unpublished, or published in censored versions, are scrutinised and pieced together in an attempt to present a more accurate view of both Rossetti's relationships with the men in her life, and her own sense of herself as a poet. Close attention is also paid to the singularity of her personal history, which was underscored by her strong sense of poetic vocation. This attempt to rework the traditional picture of Christina Rossetti provides significant new perspectives on and readings of her canon, and her brother's. I trace patterns in her poetry which are related to her struggle for creative agency in the face of fraternal intervention, and propose a model of dialogic interrogation for re-reading significant texts. I conclude that a comparative study of intertextuality between the Rossettis contributes vitally to the further understanding of both poets. DA - 1993 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1993 T1 - Rewriting Christina Rossetti : cross-gendered sibling rivalry, fraternal intervention and the counter-poetics of dissidence TI - Rewriting Christina Rossetti : cross-gendered sibling rivalry, fraternal intervention and the counter-poetics of dissidence UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21974 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/21974
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationMoffett H. Rewriting Christina Rossetti : cross-gendered sibling rivalry, fraternal intervention and the counter-poetics of dissidence. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of English Language and Literature, 1993 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21974en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of English Language and Literatureen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherEnglish Language and Literatureen_ZA
dc.titleRewriting Christina Rossetti : cross-gendered sibling rivalry, fraternal intervention and the counter-poetics of dissidenceen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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