"Trifles of value": Craft as communication in Victorian literature

<p>This thesis argues that craft functions in the nineteenth century as a form of communication that expresses female identity in Elizabeth Gaskell's <em>Cranford</em> and Margaret Oliphant's <em>Miss Marjoribanks</em>. By looking at the novels through the lens of Talia Schaffer's craft paradigm in connection with Thing theory, it is possible to make connections between the role of craft and identity, which in turn raises questions about craft and female agency. These connections to female agency illuminate tensions between craft and the economy, gender disparity in the arts, and the limitations of class. In order to explore these notions it is integral to investigate the craft movements that surround them (such as domestic handicrafts, the Design Reform movement, and the Arts and Crafts movement) because each brings with it a set of aesthetic standards that inform craft culture. This inquiry ultimately begs the question: has anything changed in the twenty first century?</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

English Language and Literature

Year dc:date.available

2015

Author dc:creator

• Larson, Amanda C.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Andrea Kaston Tange, Ph.D., Chair
• Laura George, Ph.D.

• Arts and crafts
• arts
• handicraft
• English Language and Literature

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.emich.edu/theses/643

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.emich.edu:theses-2022