Arts and Humanities Commons^™

"Trifles Of Value": Craft As Communication In Victorian Literature, Amanda C. Larson

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis argues that craft functions in the nineteenth century as a form of communication that expresses female identity in Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford and Margaret Oliphant's Miss Marjoribanks. By looking at the novels through the lens of Talia Schaffer's craft paradigm in connection with Thing theory, it is possible to make connections between the role of craft and identity, which in turn raises questions about craft and female agency. These connections to female agency illuminate tensions between craft and the economy, gender disparity in the arts, and the limitations of class. In order to explore these notions it is …