The undependable bonds of blood: the unanticipated problems of parenthood in the novels of Henry James

dc.contributorDavis, Sara
dc.contributorTang, Edward
dc.contributorCrowley, John William
dc.contributorEddins, Dwight
dc.contributor.advisorBeidler, Philip D.
dc.contributor.authorFishkin, Benjamin Hart
dc.contributor.otherUniversity of Alabama Tuscaloosa
dc.date.accessioned2017-02-28T22:20:21Z
dc.date.available2017-02-28T22:20:21Z
dc.date.issued2009
dc.descriptionElectronic Thesis or Dissertationen_US
dc.description.abstractA dilemma inherent within any parent-child relationship is that a youth may require attention and guidance that a parent is unable, or unwilling, to provide. How much is a parent willing to "give up" and will this new role bring with it a residue of resentment because demands are being made upon his or her emotional and financial reserves? Herein lies one of the sources of psychological tension that Henry James examines with such care and precision. Problems that begin within such familial discord bring with them a volatility that often reaches beyond family boundaries. These collisions, and their aftershocks, have consequences that no one can anticipate or repair. The novels of Henry James provide a wide spectrum of figures that lack the flexibility to adapt and meet the needs of their children. Louise Barnett asserts that James's literary families are a group of people "whose underlying constant is the tragic paradox that blood relations are both essential and unreliable" (Barnett, 144). The figures placed within these settings are often a grotesque conglomerate of unsuccessful marriages and absentee relations in which parents practice unhealthy patterns of behavior and negatively influence their children before they have a chance to mature into full grown adults. There are many authors who present families in their literature, but none of these "blood" ties seem as uniquely misshapen or more clearly recognizable than those of Henry James. The chasm between what one needs and what one gets often appears to be not only wide, but also laden with challenges. As I will argue, it is a breakdown of parenthood--an institution that James's novels portray as rife with flaws and shortcomings--that all too often functions as an obstacle.en_US
dc.format.extent132 p.
dc.format.mediumelectronic
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.otheru0015_0000001_0000002
dc.identifier.otherFishkin_alatus_0004D_10002
dc.identifier.urihttps://ir.ua.edu/handle/123456789/510
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Alabama Libraries
dc.relation.hasversionborn digital
dc.relation.ispartofThe University of Alabama Electronic Theses and Dissertations
dc.rightsAll rights reserved by the author unless otherwise indicated.en_US
dc.subjectEnglish literature
dc.titleThe undependable bonds of blood: the unanticipated problems of parenthood in the novels of Henry Jamesen_US
dc.typethesis
dc.typetext
etdms.degree.departmentUniversity of Alabama. Department of English
etdms.degree.disciplineEnglish
etdms.degree.grantorThe University of Alabama
etdms.degree.leveldoctoral
etdms.degree.namePh.D.
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