Feminism, psychology and the work of Charlotte Mew

"Feminisim, Psychology and the work of Charlotte Mew" is an examination of a poet who is rarely read today yet was held in great esteem by literary figures of her generation. Mew's work has been anthologised over the years. A handful of her poems can be found in contemporary anthologies dedicated to women's writing. She has never figured in the literary canon. My intention is in part to present Mew as a poet who merited the praise bestowed on her by her contemporaries. However, my primary task is to illustrate the relevance of Mew' s work to feminism. Mew' s literary output was slim and variable. This dissertation primarily critiques The Farmer's Bride (A New Edition With Eleven New Poems), (1921) and The Rambling Sailor (1929). The latter was published posthumously. Through an application of feminist psychoanalytic theory, with specific reference to Luce Irigaray, I shall demonstrate Mew's unequivocal feminism. I shall show how Mew's subversive strategies; her questioning of patriarchal institutions, and her exploration of male and female desire, subtly but significantly, undermine the phallocentric status quo. I acknowledge the problematic elements of Mew's work, particularly with reference to her male narrative voice and her preoccupation with unrequited love. However, I will suggest that both stem from the absence of female space within the symbolic order. Principally Mew's work dramatically illustrates the tensions, very apparent in society at the time, between Victorian ideals of womanhood and emerging Modernist aspirations.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

ma

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

masters

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Wales Trinity Saint David

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Dolman, Nicola

• HQ Y teulu. Priodas. Benyw.
• PR Llenyddiaeth Saesneg

Dc Identifier Grantnumber

UWTSD

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.uwtsd.ac.uk:2975