Weaving Narrative

Clothing in Twelfth-Century French Romance

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Medieval, Nonfiction, History, France
Cover of the book Weaving Narrative by Monica L. Wright, Penn State University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Monica L. Wright ISBN: 9780271076454
Publisher: Penn State University Press Publication: April 15, 2010
Imprint: Penn State University Press Language: English
Author: Monica L. Wright
ISBN: 9780271076454
Publisher: Penn State University Press
Publication: April 15, 2010
Imprint: Penn State University Press
Language: English

Enide’s tattered dress and Erec’s fabulous coronation robe; Yvain’s nudity in the forest, which prevents maidens who know him well clothed from identifying him; Lanval’s fairy-lady parading about in the Arthurian court, scantily dressed, for all to observe: just why is clothing so important in twelfth-century French romance? This interdisciplinary book explores how writers of this era used clothing as a signifier with multiple meanings for many narrative purposes. Clothing figured prominently in twelfth-century France, where exotic fabrics and furs came to define a social elite. Monica Wright shows that representations of clothing are not mere embellishments to the text; they help form the textual weave of the romances in which they appear. This book is about how these descriptions are constructed, what they mean, and how clothing becomes an active part of romance composition—the ways in which writers use it to develop and elaborate character, to advance or stall the plot, and to structure the narrative generally.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Enide’s tattered dress and Erec’s fabulous coronation robe; Yvain’s nudity in the forest, which prevents maidens who know him well clothed from identifying him; Lanval’s fairy-lady parading about in the Arthurian court, scantily dressed, for all to observe: just why is clothing so important in twelfth-century French romance? This interdisciplinary book explores how writers of this era used clothing as a signifier with multiple meanings for many narrative purposes. Clothing figured prominently in twelfth-century France, where exotic fabrics and furs came to define a social elite. Monica Wright shows that representations of clothing are not mere embellishments to the text; they help form the textual weave of the romances in which they appear. This book is about how these descriptions are constructed, what they mean, and how clothing becomes an active part of romance composition—the ways in which writers use it to develop and elaborate character, to advance or stall the plot, and to structure the narrative generally.

More books from Penn State University Press

Cover of the book Hope in Hard Times by Monica L. Wright
Cover of the book Living Poetically by Monica L. Wright
Cover of the book Net Loss by Monica L. Wright
Cover of the book Authority Figures by Monica L. Wright
Cover of the book The Evolution of Taste in American Collecting by Monica L. Wright
Cover of the book Together at the Table by Monica L. Wright
Cover of the book Venezuela Before Chávez by Monica L. Wright
Cover of the book Chaos and Cosmos by Monica L. Wright
Cover of the book State, Labor, and the Transition to a Market Economy by Monica L. Wright
Cover of the book Surveying the Avant-Garde by Monica L. Wright
Cover of the book An Entrenched Legacy by Monica L. Wright
Cover of the book Conceiving a Nation by Monica L. Wright
Cover of the book Staging Habla de Negros by Monica L. Wright
Cover of the book Medicine, Religion, and Magic in Early Stuart England by Monica L. Wright
Cover of the book Post-transitional Justice by Monica L. Wright
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy