2,185 research outputs found
The 'true use of reading' : Sarah Fielding and mid eighteenth-century literary strategies.
No full textPhDThe aim of this thesis is to explore, by examining her life and
works, how Sarah Fielding (1710-68) established her identity as an author.
The definition of her role involves her notions of the functions of
writing and reading.
Sarah Fielding attempts to invite readers to form a sense of ties
by tacit understanding of her messages. As she believes that a work
of literature is produced through collaboration between the writer and
the reader, it is an important task in her view to show her attentiveness
toward reading practice. In her consideration of reading, she has two
distinct, even opposite views of her audience: on the one hand a familiar
and limited circle of readers with shared moral and cultural values and
on the other potential readers among the unknown mass of people. The
dual targets direct her to devise various strategies. She tries to
appeal to those who can endorse and appreciate her moral values as well
as her learning. Her writings and letters testify that she is sensitive
to the demands of the literary market, trying to lead the taste of readers
by inventing new forms.
The thesis opens with an overview of Sarah Fielding's career,
followed by a consideration of her critical attention to the roles of
reading. I go on to examine the narrative structures and strategies
she deploys, with a particular emphasis on her use of the epistolary
method. The following chapter deals with her attention to the reading
of the moral message tangibly embodied in her educational writing. It
is followed by an analysis of the activity which earned her a reputation
as a learned woman. Various as the forms of her works are, they invariably
reflect her attempt to balance herself between the two demands of
inventiveness and familiarity
Sarah Fielding: Satire and Subversion in the Eighteenth-Century Novel
No full textThis study of Sarah Fielding (1710―68) is an original contribution to Fielding scholarship that has a dual purpose: to support those who are striving to re-introduce her to the modern literary landscape in an effort to restore her eighteenth-century literary standing, and to firmly establish Fielding as an early feminist writer. It is argued here that throughout her oeuvre Fielding challenged prevailing traditions that denied women a choice, particularly in education, employment and marriage. These themes are also considered in the political treatises of Mary Astell (1666―1731) and Mary Wollstonecraft (1759―97), who are now widely recognised as feminist writers.
It is further argued that Fielding’s subversion in fiction of the English patriarchal system is underscored by her unorthodox performance in the literary arena. This is fully explored alongside her use of sentimentalism as a literary tool with which she challenges her seemingly inhumane society. Fielding’s interest in ‘the Labyrinths of the Mind’ (in modern terms, human psychology) will also be addressed as will her placement in the history of feminism and her placement in the sentimental novel tradition. Fielding’s performance as a literary critic will be compared with the few female authors who, like her, dared to publish literary criticism during her writing career. Accordingly, extracts from Fielding’s novels and her two critical pamphlets will be thoroughly examined.
An updated biography of Fielding that is also included here will provide evidence for a further claim, that her fiction is autobiographical in part. A comprehensive account of Fielding’s performance as a literary critic forms the final chapter of this work. It is the first full-length examination of her contribution to the genre and includes an appraisal of her recently unearthed critical pamphlet entitled A Comparison Between the Horace of Corneille and The Roman Father of Mr. Whitehead (1750) that is yet to be formerly attributed to her. Ultimately this study of Fielding will go far beyond what has previously been written about this remarkable eighteenth-century author, particularly regarding her feminist activity
'F- F- Felt it': Breathing Feminist, Queer and Clown Thinking into the Practice and Study of Sarah Kane’s Cleansed and Blasted
No full textThis thesis uses studio practice, scholarly research, close reading of text, performance observation and conversation with practitioners to establish diverse readings of Sarah Kane’s Cleansed. It includes original material from the 2012 productions of Cleansed in Japan (Kamome-za Fringe Theatre), and in Ireland (Bare Cheek Theatre). It notes practice on Cleansed in gallery spaces (Cast-Off Drama, UK). It offers a dramaturgical approach to workshopping the play from a feminist and queer position, informed by theories of gender and transgender, and the marginalised, loving and delinquent practice of clowning. The research discusses principles of breath, voice and sexuate difference drawing primarily on the philosophies of Luce Irigaray, on the voice practice of Cicely Berry and the clown teaching of Sue Morrison.
The work challenges the ‘in-yer-face’ theatre discourse on Kane arguing that it represents a McDonaldization of its subject matter, and an insidious trivialisation of her texts. It offers new thinking on the opening night of Blasted (1995), suggesting that the ‘furore’ was fuelled by collective male hysteria and superstition; its roots centred in mourning. Analysing Cleansed in relation to Edward Bond’s Saved and Lear, it explores tropes of ghosts, stitching and the silent scream, and argues that Kane militates for gynocentric time and becoming. It analyses the symbol of the perimeter fence as a feature of 1980s Britain, noting the strength of binary associations configured in it with reference to both English football hooliganism (male) and the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp (female). It argues that Kane sets up heteronormative binaries in Cleansed to debate and contest them.
A key conclusion of the thesis is that Cleansed politically addresses and dramatises issues of transgender experience presenting accounts of gender violence, mutability, transitioning, the sharp fractures and silences of gender dysphoria, but also, ultimately, queer desire, love and optimism
Data and R Code for Analyses in "Grassland birds demonstrate delayed response to large-scale tree removal in central North America"
No full textThe csv file documents the species observed at various point count stations in 14 Waterfowl Production Area sites. Measurements about the surrounding vegetation were included. Each of the 18493 rows is a record for a particular SPECIES observed at specified time and location. The R code file runs on R and imports the CSV file. The R code was written in R version 3.1.2.These files contain R code and data required for analsyes detailed within "Grassland birds demonstrate delayed response to large-scale tree removal in central North America" in the Journal of Applied Ecology. The lead author wrote this code to analyze multi-year point count data collected in west-central Minnesota. The purpose of the study was to assess the success of habitat restoration activities aimed at removal of encroaching trees and shrubs.The United States Fish and Wildlife ServiceThompson, Sarah, J. (2015). Data and R Code for Analyses in "Grassland birds demonstrate delayed response to large-scale tree removal in central North America". Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, http://dx.doi.org/10.13020/D6C88M
A critical analysis of the plays of Sarah Daniels.
No full textAs one of the forerunners of 'second wave' feminist playwriting, Sarah Daniels has for the
past fifteen years been one of Britain's most prolific writers for the stage. This thesis is the
first to offer a detailed critical analysis of all her published plays along with a developmental
account of her career. My approach throughout is text-based and non-prescriptive,
although I do at certain points indicate where Daniels reflects or voices differing feminist
perspectives. I also consider, beginning in Chapter Three, the critical reception and
'gendered' reviewing the playwright has received over the years.
The thesis is organised into five chapters with an Afterword. Chapter One, the
Introduction, offers an overview of Daniels' career as well as certain key characteristics of
her work. In Chapter Two I analyse the early plays, Ripen Our Darkness, The Devil's
Gateway and Neaptide, and consider in particular how they reflect, along with other
women's playwriting at the time, certain ideals of the Women's Liberation Movement.
Chapter Three is devoted entirely to Masterpieces, Daniels' most controversial and, on
many levels, successful play to date. Chapter Four is an analysis of the 'history plays',
Byrthrite and The Gut Girls. In addition to giving voice to women traditionally silenced in
and by history, these plays (especially Byrthrite) also echo particular strands of modern
feminist debate. Chapter Five examines Daniels' plays of the 1990s (Beside Herself, Head-
Rot Holiday and The Madness of Esme and Shaz) with their central theme of 'women and
madness'. This is also a fitting theme with which to conclude the thesis as it brings together
and expands on the most significant motif running throughout the playwright's work. In the
Afterword I consider the effect of Esme and Shaz's critical reception on Daniels, as well as
her current 'work in progress'. Finally, the two Appendices provide a chronological table of
Daniels' productions and a list of subsequent professional productions as well as awards
The effects of invertebrates on the plant communities in upland hay meadows
No full textPhD ThesisSpecies rich upland hay meadows are of high biodiversity importance and are internationally rare. There is increasing interest in restoring botanically diverse meadows in the uplands but little is known about the role of invertebrates. The purpose of the project was to investigate the role of (i) slugs as seedling herbivores and (ii) pollinators in affecting the plant communities. Research has revealed important interactions between invertebrates and plant life history traits with implications for grassland restoration.
Slugs are known to affect plant communities by the selective seedling removal of more acceptable species, although few studies have considered their impact at restoration sites. A glasshouse feeding trial showed the acceptability of seedlings of different meadow plants to slugs is influenced by plant defensive properties. Field investigations of slug population densities identified a negative correlation with increasing levels of agricultural improvement. This relationship was partly driven by the increase in grass abundance cover in agriculturally improved meadows and may be influenced by the anti-feedant properties of silica-rich grass leaves. A 3-year mesocosm study found evidence that slugs are an important selective force affecting seedling recruitment and community composition. The selective seedling removal of the hemi-parasite and keystone species Rhinanthus minor was a key finding of this study. Use of Scanning Electron Microscopy showed the leaf surface of R. minor to be characterised by a diverse assemblage of trichomes which may play an important role in anti-herbivore defence.
Parallel declines in pollinator and insect-pollinated plant populations have raised concerns that smaller populations of important pollinator groups such as bumblebees may be reducing seed set by plants. Survey work showed upland hay meadows to be an important forage resource for common and rare/scarce bumblebees. Bumblebees visited a small number of forage plants, most notably R. minor, Trifolium species and Geranium sylvaticum. Pollen supplementation tests did not find significant evidence that reproductive output of R. minor and G. sylvaticum (a gynodioecious species) was limited by pollination services. Testing of a new system to record pollinator visitors to flowers proved highly effective and
offers the potential to significantly reduce time and labour input into the study of plant-invertebrate interactions.
The project has shown that invertebrates are an important functional group affecting the success of plant species in hay meadows. The findings provide new and important information to the industry in developing management prescriptions for restoring upland hay meadows and other botanically rich plant communities.The Perry Foundation
Response to Dr Zittermann
No full textThis article relates to - Functional effect of physical exercise on calcium metabolismArmin ZittermannVolume 603Issue 5The Journal of Physiology pages: 1323-1323 First Published online: January 2, 2025The effect of an acute bout of exercise on circulating vitamin D metabolite concentrations: a randomised crossover study in healthy adultsSophie E. Davies, Oliver J. Perkin, James A. Betts, Javier T. Gonzalez, Martin Hewison, Carl Jenkinson, Kerry S. Jones, Sarah R. Meadows, Damon A. Parkington, Albert Koulman, Dylan ThompsonVolume 602Issue 17The Journal of Physiology pages: 4157-4170 First Published online: August 4, 202
“And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai”: R. Crumb’s pro-feminist interpretation of Sarah in the Bible
No full textIn 2009, R. Crumb produced a singular work: The Book of Genesis, Illustrated by R. Crumb, which purports to be a faithful, graphical interpretation of the book of Genesis from the Hebrew Bible. Among other sources, Crumb states that he used Robert Alter’s translation and commentary on Genesis to inform his work, along with the King James Version (KJV), the Jewish Publication Society Version (JPS) and Sarah the Priestess: The First Matriarch of Genesis by Savina J. Teubal; from those, he produced his own interpretation together with annotations to explain his interpretive decisions.
Remediating or adapting ancient texts into modern graphical comic books affects the reception of the text in many ways, but also offers both comics creators and readers different interpretive spaces within which they can allow different readings of texts to emerge. Such spaces are arguably affected by the way in which creators read and interpret original sources, as well as by the understanding and application of comics’ tools and resources employed to create the comic book remediations.
This paper will investigate Crumb’s utilisation of various comics tools and resources in his remediation of Genesis, arguing that his interpretation of the biblical text is presented through careful visual and textual decisions. I argue that these decisions in turn present the matriarchs (Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah) in Genesis, Illustrated as strong, dominant characters who are cast as potential leaders in an otherwise patriarchal world. This is a characterisation which subverts both biblically-traditional readings of the women of Genesis, as well as expectations of Crumb as an author. Accusations of misogyny and sexism have followed Crumb throughout his career, but, I argue, do not stand when the reader is presented with his pro-feminist matriarchal remediation of the biblical text
Depression and Gender: The Expression and Experience of Melancholy in the Eighteenth Century
No full textThis thesis investigates the life and work of six eighteenth-century writers, two male and four female. It explores their experience of depression through their letters and other autobiographical material, and examines the ways in which they represent melancholy in their poetry and prose. The subject of Chapter Two is Thomas Gray, whose real life persona as the lonely intellectual is also identifiable in his poetry. The Scottish poet Robert Fergusson is studied in Chapter Three. Fergusson’s lively and vigorous mind was shattered in the months leading up to his death, during which time some of his writing became darkly nihilistic. Chapter Four looks at Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea, a lifelong depressive who often wrote about her feelings of despair in her poetry. Chapter Five explores Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. She was a courageous and controversial figure, but despite her resilience, on occasion in her letters she reveals her vulnerability and susceptibility to low spirits, a mood which is sometimes expressed in her creative writing. Sarah Scott, whose life and work have not yet been considered in relation to the subject of melancholy, is examined in Chapter Six. Her novel includes several low-spirited and depressed female characters who are continually seeking asylum from a hostile world. Chapter Seven analyses Charlotte Smith, a mother of twelve children whose unhappy marriage ended in separation. Smith wrote extensively about her depression in her letters, prefaces, poetry and novels.
This study shows that the women in particular use their writing on melancholy and depression to express their discontent with the confined way in which they are often expected to live out their lives
The Young Lady\u27s Guide
No full textContents
Papers for thoughtful girls, by Sarah Tytler.
A woman’s thoughts about women, by the author of John Halifax, gentleman .
Fashion, from Mrs. Sydney Cox’s Friendly counsel for girls .
Novel-reading, from the Greyson letters, by Henry Rogers.
From Daughters and Women of England, by Sarah S. Ellis.
From Hannah More.--From The young ladies’ mentor , by a lady.
The social position and culture due to woman, by W. R. Williams.--Education of the heart, woman’s best, by Sarah S. Ellis.
From The young woman’s friend , by J. A. James
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