Reality and consciousness : a study of selected novels of May Sinclair.

Theresa. Phillips, Mary (1993) Reality and consciousness : a study of selected novels of May Sinclair. PhD thesis, University of Liverpool.

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Abstract

This dissertation considers selected novels of May Sinclair,in the light of her declared interest in the representat:ionN.of reality. It is written from a theoretical position which recognises that the reflection of reality in works of art ;s problematic, but which nevertheless maintains that works of fiction have some relationship with the real world. Using Bakhtin's concept of polyphony, as developed in his study of Dostoevsky's novels, it suggests that a novel is more open to the realitY,:r seeks to represent, in p~oportion to the multipl i.~..~.~f its voices. S, ne 1air cons ide red the re."r,esenta t ion of consc iousness to be the key element in trie representation of reality. The first chapter explores her' representation of consciousness in her novels, e~ploying a close formal analysis of voice and viewpoint, and demonstrating that even in her single consciousness novels, the consciousness of her characters is dialogic. The second chapter extends the study of Sinclair's treatment of consciousness to the more problematic area of the unconscious, demonstrating the variety of methods she employs, and her success in leaving open to the reader the interpretation of her characters' unconscious minds. The third chapter is a reader-orientated approach to the presence of irony in Sinclair's novels, arguing that ironic gaps and signals in the text allow the reader space to assert his/her own voice .. The final chapter interrogates Sinclair's representation of reality from a feminist position which challenges the cultural stereotypes, which inevitably construct even novels written from a feminist perspective, paying par~icular attention to the influence of contemporary.·psychology on Sinclair's representation of female characters. The dissertation .concludes 'by suggesting re.asons why even the feminist movement within literary'st-'~ies has largely failed to reawaken interest in Sinclair's novels. It suggests possible lines for further research and enters a plea for the re-publication of a wider ~ange of her novels.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	20 Oct 2023 15:44
Last Modified:	20 Oct 2023 15:44
DOI:	10.17638/03175179
Copyright Statement:	Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis and any accompanying data (where applicable) are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge.
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3175179