Colonial Girlhood in Literature, Culture and History, 1840-1950 - (Palgrave Studies in Nineteenth-Century Writing and Culture) (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Colonial Girlhood in Literature, Culture and History, 1840-1950 explores a range of real and fictional colonial girlhood experiences from Jamaica, Mauritius, South Africa, India, New Zealand, Australia, England, Ireland, and Canada to reflect on the transitional state of girlhood between childhood and adulthood. The interconnected themes of colonialism, empire, gender, race, and class show how colonial girls occupy ambivalent positions in British and settler societies between 1840 and 1950. Although girlhood is often linked to freedom, independence, novelty, and modernity, it may also represent an idea that needs to be contained and controlled to serve the needs of the nation. Across national boundaries, the malleability of colonial girlhoods is evident. Drawing on a range of approaches including history, anthropology, and literary and cultural studies, this book reflects on the complexities of girlhood during the colonial era. "--

Book Synopsis

Colonial Girlhood in Literature, Culture and History, 1840-1950 explores a range of real and fictional colonial girlhood experiences from Jamaica, Mauritius, South Africa, India, New Zealand, Australia, England, Ireland, and Canada to reflect on the transitional state of girlhood between childhood and adulthood.

Review Quotes

"A groundbreaking collection of essays on girlhood and girls'experiences in colonies throughout the British Empire, Colonial Girlhood covers sources, parts of the world, and cross-cultural experiences that will interest scholars of literature, history, film, cultural studies, women's studies and postcolonial issues. In addition, it should make an appealing classroom text." - Sally Mitchell, Emerita Professor of English and Women's Studies, Temple University, USA

About the Author

Kristine Alexander, University of Lethbridge, Canada Clare Bradford, Deakin University, Australia Susan Cahill, Concordia University, Canada Cecily Devereux, University of Alberta, Canada Terri Doughty, Vancouver Island University, Canada S.E. Duff, Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research, South Africa Ken Gelder, University of Melbourne, Australia Subhasri Ghosh, independent scholar, USA Laura Ishiguro, University of British Columbia, Canada Fiona P. McDonald, UCL, UK Kristine Moruzi, Deakin University, Australia Juliet O'Conor, Deakin University, Australia Beth Rodgers, Aberystwyth University, UK Michelle J. Smith, Deakin University, Australia Tamara S. Wagner, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Rachael Weaver, University of Melbourne, Australia Angela Woollacott, Australian National University, Australia.