By Alice Theobald Margaret Cavendish is chiefly remembered today for being the pioneer of the science-fiction genre with her innovative work The Blazing-World of 1666. However, she also wrote prolifically on political and philosophical matters, championing a pioneering materialism and progressive method of natural philosophy. Published in the same year as her fictional work, Cavendish’s … Continue reading
By Mimi Goodall It is fascinating to analyse the ways in which female writers, working within a predominantly male tradition, negotiate their gender, femininity and sexuality in their writing. In women’s writing, the “female” shifts from existing as written object to active creator of the text. As they subvert or adapt traditional representations of women … Continue reading
By Aime Williams During the mid- seventeenth century, there arose a new strand of philosophical thinking — the premise of which was that truth had been encoded into the world by God through his creation. The best way to find these truths, therefore, was to examine the world via observation and the senses. The central text … Continue reading
By Martin Parlett For many, Elizabeth Cary (1585–1639) is not a name that readily flares the synapses; nor one which encourages an emotional kindling of English national or literary pride. It is a name, whether through natural critical evolution, or purposeful ostracism from the literary canon, forced to whisper itself at the fringes of syllabi … Continue reading
