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Continuum of Agency for Historical Fiction
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From: Cappiello, Maryann <mcappiel_at_lesley.edu>
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:29:01 -0400
This is my first posting as a new member; for years, I've thought about joining and I'm glad I joined in time for this discussion. Back in 2004, my dissertation focused on historical novels written for young adults from the dime novel through to our contemporary notions of ya fiction. Essentially, I tried to examine how girls had been represented in one time period over time, and explored novels set during the American Revolution with teenage girl protagonists. Lissa Paul once asserted that a children's novel cannot be considered a feminist novel if the girl protagonist fails to act in ways that embody feminist beliefs. Specifically, if they simply take on roles traditionally assumed by male characters, these girls are essentially turned into boys - "heroes in drag" - rather than feminist protagonists of their own stories. Of course, all of this hangs on one's definition of the word feminist, and like others on the list, I think talking about agency allows for a more focused discussion. Unlike Paul, I don't believe that the concept of a "hero in drag" needs to be strictly pejorative when examining novels written before the feminist movement of the late twentieth century, particularly when it comes to looking at historical fiction that looks back on an even earlier moment. A few have noted books that have been criticized for being presentist, and depicting girls atypical or unlikely for their time period. Chandra Adkins wrote a dissertation at the University of Georgia back in the late 1990s entitled Presentism or Plausible Past? that did a fantastic job of detailing the ways in which reviewers have erred in their criticism (or praise) of books based on an incomplete and sometimes very fragmented understanding of history, particularly of women and minorities in the US. For years, the only way girls could read themselves in history was through historical fiction, however badly written. Since 2004, I've been considering a continuum of agency that can be applied to historical novels with female protagonists. I'm no t sure if it works, but I'll throw it out for consideration. There are four categories: Absent Girl, Marginal Girl, Hero in Drag, and Feminist Girl.
On the continuum, no specific protagonists fall into the first category, the Absent Girl, because the category represents all of the historical novels about particular time periods or events which do not feature a female protagonist or major character. These are the stories yet to be told.
Next, is the Marginal Girl, a protagonist who exists but experiences the historical conflict on the margins. It is likely, but not necessary, that these stories conflict with information documented in primary sources about the time period, as so much women's history remains unread and unknown by writers, reviewers, and readers. Thus, the marginalization may be an artificial view of history based on assumptions or misinformation. These stories could also reflect an accurate marginalization, and are important for portraying a girls' point-of-view on the events depicted. I believe that within this category more recent historical novels may fall, young adult novels that feature the interior character development that is a signature quality of young adult fiction as it emerged in the late 1960s. Therefore, the character may be marginalized in terms of historical action - as is historically accurate, the result of faulty historical work on the part of the writer, or by author's choice -and may or may not develop h er interior identity.
The third category on the continuum is a Hero in Drag, a female protagonist/major character who participates in the action of the event/conflict as a traditional male hero might, but possibly completing tasks that girls and women completed as documented in primary sources. However, in their literary construction, these actions may feel more like those taken by traditional male heroes. These characters, like their marginalized counterparts, may or may not show interior development.
Next is the Feminist Girl, a female protagonist/major character who participates in the action of the event/conflict and represents the ideals of feminism as they are defined by the reader. Her thoughts and actions may or may not conflict with evidence documented in primary sources. Additionally, there is the Feminist Girl in a Feminist Novel, a female protagonist/major character who participates in the action of the event/conflict, represents ideals of feminism as defined by the reader within a novel that represents those same ideals. Again, the character's thoughts and actions may or may not conflict with evidence documented in primary sources.
Cheers, Mary Ann
Mary Ann Cappiello, Ed.D. Assistant Professor, Language and Literacy Division School of Education Lesley University www.classroombookshelf.blogspot.com
Mailing address: 29 Everett Street Cambridge, MA 02138-2790
Office address: 2-054 University Hall 1815 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: 617 349 8603 Fax: 617 349 8607
e-mail: mcappiel_at_lesley.edu
Received on Wed 16 Mar 2011 09:29:01 AM CDT
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:29:01 -0400
This is my first posting as a new member; for years, I've thought about joining and I'm glad I joined in time for this discussion. Back in 2004, my dissertation focused on historical novels written for young adults from the dime novel through to our contemporary notions of ya fiction. Essentially, I tried to examine how girls had been represented in one time period over time, and explored novels set during the American Revolution with teenage girl protagonists. Lissa Paul once asserted that a children's novel cannot be considered a feminist novel if the girl protagonist fails to act in ways that embody feminist beliefs. Specifically, if they simply take on roles traditionally assumed by male characters, these girls are essentially turned into boys - "heroes in drag" - rather than feminist protagonists of their own stories. Of course, all of this hangs on one's definition of the word feminist, and like others on the list, I think talking about agency allows for a more focused discussion. Unlike Paul, I don't believe that the concept of a "hero in drag" needs to be strictly pejorative when examining novels written before the feminist movement of the late twentieth century, particularly when it comes to looking at historical fiction that looks back on an even earlier moment. A few have noted books that have been criticized for being presentist, and depicting girls atypical or unlikely for their time period. Chandra Adkins wrote a dissertation at the University of Georgia back in the late 1990s entitled Presentism or Plausible Past? that did a fantastic job of detailing the ways in which reviewers have erred in their criticism (or praise) of books based on an incomplete and sometimes very fragmented understanding of history, particularly of women and minorities in the US. For years, the only way girls could read themselves in history was through historical fiction, however badly written. Since 2004, I've been considering a continuum of agency that can be applied to historical novels with female protagonists. I'm no t sure if it works, but I'll throw it out for consideration. There are four categories: Absent Girl, Marginal Girl, Hero in Drag, and Feminist Girl.
On the continuum, no specific protagonists fall into the first category, the Absent Girl, because the category represents all of the historical novels about particular time periods or events which do not feature a female protagonist or major character. These are the stories yet to be told.
Next, is the Marginal Girl, a protagonist who exists but experiences the historical conflict on the margins. It is likely, but not necessary, that these stories conflict with information documented in primary sources about the time period, as so much women's history remains unread and unknown by writers, reviewers, and readers. Thus, the marginalization may be an artificial view of history based on assumptions or misinformation. These stories could also reflect an accurate marginalization, and are important for portraying a girls' point-of-view on the events depicted. I believe that within this category more recent historical novels may fall, young adult novels that feature the interior character development that is a signature quality of young adult fiction as it emerged in the late 1960s. Therefore, the character may be marginalized in terms of historical action - as is historically accurate, the result of faulty historical work on the part of the writer, or by author's choice -and may or may not develop h er interior identity.
The third category on the continuum is a Hero in Drag, a female protagonist/major character who participates in the action of the event/conflict as a traditional male hero might, but possibly completing tasks that girls and women completed as documented in primary sources. However, in their literary construction, these actions may feel more like those taken by traditional male heroes. These characters, like their marginalized counterparts, may or may not show interior development.
Next is the Feminist Girl, a female protagonist/major character who participates in the action of the event/conflict and represents the ideals of feminism as they are defined by the reader. Her thoughts and actions may or may not conflict with evidence documented in primary sources. Additionally, there is the Feminist Girl in a Feminist Novel, a female protagonist/major character who participates in the action of the event/conflict, represents ideals of feminism as defined by the reader within a novel that represents those same ideals. Again, the character's thoughts and actions may or may not conflict with evidence documented in primary sources.
Cheers, Mary Ann
Mary Ann Cappiello, Ed.D. Assistant Professor, Language and Literacy Division School of Education Lesley University www.classroombookshelf.blogspot.com
Mailing address: 29 Everett Street Cambridge, MA 02138-2790
Office address: 2-054 University Hall 1815 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: 617 349 8603 Fax: 617 349 8607
e-mail: mcappiel_at_lesley.edu
Received on Wed 16 Mar 2011 09:29:01 AM CDT
