Voicing the Self: Narration, Perspective and Identity in Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s "Prince Ramji Rowdedow" (1874)

Hatter, Janine

Abstract

This article considers Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s use of the short story form and authorial, character and narrative voice in her theatrical tale ‘Prince Ramji Rowdedow’ (1874). As context for this article prevailing Victorian approaches to narrative voice will be considered, alongside Braddon’s acting and playwright careers, emphasising her knowledge of how the voice is utilised on and off stage. The thesis of this article is that although the voice can be fragmented, it is a vital and powerful element of identity construction for both fictional characters and real people. However, Braddon’s deliberate exposé of the highly constructed nature of the theatre demonstrates that a person’s identity is socially rather than individually constructed.

Key Words:
Mary Elizabeth Braddon; narrator; narrative voice; theatre; identity; perspective

Citation

Hatter, J. (2013). Voicing the Self: Narration, Perspective and Identity in Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s "Prince Ramji Rowdedow" (1874). Short Fiction in Theory and Practice, 3(1), 25-35. https://doi.org/10.1386/fict.3.1.25_1

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Apr 1, 2013
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2013
• Deposit Date: Aug 22, 2023
• Journal: Short Fiction in Theory and Practice
• Print ISSN: 2043-0701
• Publisher: Intellect
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 3
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 25-35
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1386/fict.3.1.25_1
• Keywords: Mary Elizabeth Braddon; Narrator; Narrative voice; Theatre; Identity; Perspective
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4361077