Fathers and Daughters in Gower's Confessio Amantis

Name: Fathers and Daughters in Gower's Confessio Amantis
Brand: D.S.Brewer
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By Maria Bullon-Fernandez

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Description

Fathers and daughters are central to some of the most significant tales in Gower's poem. Using feminist and anthropological approaches, Bullon-Fernandez argues that father-daughter relationships, and the associated theme of incest that they sometimes suggest, enable Gower to examine authority relationships in three interconnected spheres: family, state, and text. She suggests that Gower perceived the relationships between kings and subjects and between authors and texts as similar to paternal relationships with a daughter; and further, that Gower regarded the law of exogamy as at the core of patriarchal society. As a father may not commit incest with his daughter and a king may not abuse his authority, so the writer (as in `Pygmaleon and the Statue'), must curb his desire to control the meaning of his creation. Thus, even as he is concerned with the limits of authority in the familial, political and textual realms, Gower also exposes the inherently transgressive nature of such authority.
Dr MARIA BULLON-FERNANDEZ is Assistant Professor of Middle English literature, Seattle University.

Product details

Number of Pages:: 252
Release Date:: 2000-06-01
Publication Date:: 2000-05-04
Publisher:: D.S.Brewer
Languages:: Original: English
ISBN10:: 0859915786
ISBN13:: 9780859915786
GPSR Manufacturer Reference:: [email protected]
Weight:: 546 g
Height:: 161 cm
Width:: 240 cm
Thickness:: 18 cm

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