TIPPING THE VELVET: SPECULARISED SEXUALITIES IN THE VICTORIAN ERA

Year 2019, Issue: 35, 83 - 91, 26.04.2019

Ela İpek Gündüz

https://doi.org/10.30794/pausbed.407636

Abstract

Sarah Waters’ first novel Tipping
the Velvet (1998) is a neo-Victorian novel that  rewrites the Victorian era to depict the
marginalised existence of the female same-sex lovers. Since Waters
fictionalises the historical facts, her representations turn out to be the
reality of her novel in which facts and imaginary notions blurred. In this
article, Waters’ construction of an alternative lesbian history of the
Victorian period in London will be evaluated by the constructions of femininity
in the Victorian period. Then, the tendency of excluding sexuality and desire
by ignoring their existence in Victorian times will be scrutinised by showing sexual
interactions of lesbian lovers. In the novel, Waters creates a
counter-discourse of lesbians who try to become visible at the centre. By
creating different social circles and classes among queer people in Victorian
times, Waters both achieves to avoid the stereotyping the lesbians and adds a
credibility to their existence. 

Keywords

Sarah Waters, queer, neo-Victorian

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