The Representation of Femininity and Masculinity in Andrew Lang’s Fairy Book Series (1889-1910)

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive analysis of Andrew Lang’s Fairy Book Series (1889-1910) and examine the representation of femininity and masculinity by using a methodology that includes analysing the language, imagery and symbolism of individual fairy tales from the collection. This thesis explores how traditional gender roles are embedded throughout the tales and, alongside this, looks at the burgeoning feminist movement and the alternative displays of masculinity in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It argues that the tales demonstrate conflicting ideas on gender, and that the fairy tales may not necessarily present entirely coherent values in terms of the representation of femininity and masculinity.
This thesis also establishes the significance of Lang’s Fairy Book Series in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, and its continuing contribution to studies of the literary fairy tale in the twenty-first century. Through an analysis of Lang’s archival material and journalistic writing, it focuses on arguments about realism and romance in the late 1800s, in which Lang was explicitly engaged, and examines Lang’s role in the formation of the Fairy Book Series. It also explores the relationship between Lang and the female translators, and analyses how this creates tensions, and complicates arguments concerning gender.

Date of Award	7 Apr 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Northampton
Supervisor	Phillippa Bennett (Supervisor), Richard Chamberlain (Supervisor) & Jon Mackley (Supervisor)