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English

ID: <

10670/1.81afk5

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Resisting the Traditional Construction of Fatherhood and Masculinity in Elizabeth Spencer’s “Sightings” and “The Everlasting Light”

Abstract

in his article ‘here are Fathers in American Literature?’ Josep Armengol acknowledges that the absence or marginalisation of the father in American literature is one of the biggest national anxieties. Armengol identifies two models of paternity that dominate American literature: authoritarian fathers and those who are absent. It follows that the father as a domestic figure (or the new paternal figure) remains a relatively unexplored literary phenomenon. Spencer’s news in Starting Over is remarkable for their male characters and/or narratives. Many stories take an ambiguous approach to the mother’s or woman’s figure, which is often physically absent from the intrigue or remains invisible. Looking at ‘The Everlasting Light’ and ‘sightings’, it can be seen that it is the absence of the wife or mother that is underlined by the narrative and this presence is replaced by the importance given to the daughter’s figure. This marginalisation of maternal figures also shows a clear concern for male identity. Indeed, girls teach men and fathers their vulnerability as men in different ways. In doing so, Spencer revisits the role of fathers and questions traditional patriarcal representations.

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