Date of Award
Summer 8-18-2010
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
English
First Advisor
Paul H. Schmidt
Second Advisor
Michael Galchinsky
Third Advisor
LeeAnne Richardson
Abstract
The scarcity of speech in George Meredith’s Modern Love creates a deeply psychological narrative, reflecting a distrust of speech and the effectiveness of language in general. The narrator of the poem exists in a space of ambiguity, both blaming and yearning for speech; in his confusion, he remains largely silent. His silence does not only emphasize the distance between husband and wife but also between language and meaning. Furthermore, the narrator’s distrust of language ultimately exposes a breakdown in his certainty of self and truth.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/1396066
Recommended Citation
Murray, Ellen J., ""How Silence Best Can Speak": The Distrust of Speech in George Meredith's Modern Love." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2010.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/1396066