Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Jones, Julie Angela

Titel

Polynesian women in Herman Melville's “Typee” and Paul Gauguin's “Noa Noa”: Re-imagining an active muse

Ort / Verlag

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses

Erscheinungsjahr

2005

Quelle

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The purpose of this thesis is to revisit two nineteenth-century travel narratives, Herman Melville's Typee and Paul Gauguin's Noa Noa with a special emphasis on the Polynesian female characters described by each author. Before examining the roles these women play in the texts, this thesis will orient the reader as to the historical roles of both the western and Polynesian women of the nineteenth century and what influences these attitudes might have on each author. Specifically, I will examine how Melville and Gauguin are attempting to subvert the current literary and artistic styles and how these struggles can be reflected in the female characters. In light of current feminist theory, I will argue for a greater quotient of power for these Polynesian women who are Muse.