The chapter explores Gaskell's contribution to the development of a specific Victorian sub-genre: crime short fiction. Although critics have laid the focus on her Gothic paraphernalia and mystery elements, less attention has been paid to her use of crime elements and detective narrative strategies. As a well-known mid-Victorian novelist, who took an active part in her intellectual milieu, Gaskell was highly receptive to the generic experiments carried out by her contemporaries. While examining some Gaskell stories and tales that bear evidence of her experimentation with crime narration, the chapter shows that she gave an important contribution to the development of a form that would be 'canonised' and gain large popularity at the end of the century.
"Elizabeth Gaskell and the Crime Short Story"
COSTANTINI, Mariaconcetta
2011-01-01
Abstract
The chapter explores Gaskell's contribution to the development of a specific Victorian sub-genre: crime short fiction. Although critics have laid the focus on her Gothic paraphernalia and mystery elements, less attention has been paid to her use of crime elements and detective narrative strategies. As a well-known mid-Victorian novelist, who took an active part in her intellectual milieu, Gaskell was highly receptive to the generic experiments carried out by her contemporaries. While examining some Gaskell stories and tales that bear evidence of her experimentation with crime narration, the chapter shows that she gave an important contribution to the development of a form that would be 'canonised' and gain large popularity at the end of the century.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
