St Andrews Research Repository

St Andrews University Home
View Item 
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • English (School of)
  • English
  • English Theses
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • English (School of)
  • English
  • English Theses
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • English (School of)
  • English
  • English Theses
  • View Item
  • Login
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

The emancipating dwarf : cultural representations of short-statured characters

Date
25/06/2019
Author
Sacco, Stephen
Supervisor
Burnside, John
Funder
Santander Foundation
Metadata
Show full item record
Altmetrics Handle Statistics
Altmetrics DOI Statistics
Abstract
Dwarfs and short-statured characters play an essential function in narratives, but they are often overlooked or dismissed. These characters, however, are not only in stories to add whimsy or to ‘spice up’ the atmosphere; they help the story progress. In order to understand the role short-statured characters play, we will first look at tribal rites of passage, as described by Arnold van Gennep (1873-1957) and Victor Turner (1920- 1983), in which scale is often changed and opposites mixed in the liminal period of the rites. The short-statured characters, often, but not at all times, represented as dwarfs, have the effect of bringing the story into a liminal space, and this often liberates the averaged-bodied characters by changing their perspectives. This, however, is not always fair to the dwarf because she is relegated to the margins, and therefore is stuck in the liminal space without the opportunity of assimilation. The dwarf remains a freak. Therefore, we will look at the burgeoning study of ‘freakery’, which has identified many elements associated with ‘freaks’ that are shared with the liminal period, the medieval idea of the monstrous, and the carnival. In the second half of the thesis, is an excerpt from the novel Little Aldo, which takes the theory examined in the academic half and uses it to create a work of fiction. Little Aldo is a dwarf who has become a prominent advisor in American politics, but he comes to a point in his life where he must choose between his career and his true feelings.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.17630/10023-19075
Type
Thesis, PhD Doctor of Philosophy
Rights
Embargo Date: 2024-05-29
Embargo Reason: Thesis restricted in accordance with University regulations. Print and electronic copy restricted until 29th May 2024
Collections
  • English Theses
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/19075

Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Advanced Search

Browse

All of RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunderThis CollectionBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunder

My Account

Login

Open Access

To find out how you can benefit from open access to research, see our library web pages and Open Access blog. For open access help contact: openaccess@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Accessibility

Read our Accessibility statement.

How to submit research papers

The full text of research papers can be submitted to the repository via Pure, the University's research information system. For help see our guide: How to deposit in Pure.

Electronic thesis deposit

Help with deposit.

Repository help

For repository help contact: Digital-Repository@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Give Feedback

Cookie policy

This site may use cookies. Please see Terms and Conditions.

Usage statistics

COUNTER-compliant statistics on downloads from the repository are available from the IRUS-UK Service. Contact us for information.

© University of St Andrews Library

University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013532.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter