Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Bachelor of Arts in English
Advisor
Cynthia Scheinberg, Ph.D.
Abstract
As a queer woman in Victorian England Amv Levy (1861-1889) exhibits both a strong portrayal of queer Identity and an understanding of Victorian culture’s deeply heteronormative biases. This strong portrayal is still often invisible to 21st century readers because of Levy’s deft use of coding. This thesis exposes her skill in crafting settings, implied context, ambiguous pronouns, and subtle undermining of heterosexual expectations. Reclaiming Levy’s deft portrayal of queer own identity is important for both literary scholars and everyday readers because it demonstrates that these identities are not new, while also highlighting the persistent historical struggle to represent gender identity from within cultures actively attempting to silence those identities.
Recommended Citation
Schwartz, Parker L., "“Some Other Where”: Amy Levy’s Poetics of a Radical Queer Identity" (2022). English Theses. 7.
https://docs.rwu.edu/english_theses/7
