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Disability and the Individual Talent: Adolescent Girlhood in 'The Pillars of the House' and 'What Katy Did'

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5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This essay examines how Charlotte Yonge and Susan Coolidge suggest that temporary disability is a crucial stage in the development of talented teenage girls. During periods of enforced disability, Yonge's brilliant artist, Geraldine Underwood, in 'The Pillars of the House' (1873), and Coolidge's word magician, Katy Carr, in 'What Katy Did' (1872), gain self-mastery and mastery of their talent, and become the heart of the house. Disability thus symbolizes the struggle to come of age for intelligent and talented young women in books for young readers.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)343-360
JournalWomen's Writing
Volume17
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 Dec 2010

Keywords

  • North American Literature
  • British and Irish Literature
  • Culture, Gender, Sexuality

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