The Identity-Defining Role of Forgetting in Transformative Disguise in Two Middle English Romances: Havelok the Dane and Sir Isumbras
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This thesis explores the interconnected processes of disguise and forgetting in two Middle English romances, Havelok the Dane and Sir Isumbras. The disguises in these two texts have a transformative function because the protagonists, while disguised, forget their identities. Because of this, these transformative disguises are immersed in the genre's well-established narrative of identity construction. The disguise motif, though common in romance, is rarely studied as a driving force in identity transformation because it more often functions as a performative plot point. Using medieval theories of memory, forgetting, and recollection to assess how the processes of disguise and forgetting occur in the texts, my research has determined that forgetting makes the transformations into disguise more complete and that recollecting what is important for both the true and disguised identities creates an improved and changed final identity. Overall, these romances' use of disguise, forgetting, and transformation presents forgetting as both a problem and a necessity for effecting change.
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Copyright © 2018 the author(s). Theses may be used for non-commercial research, educational, or related academic purposes only. Such uses include personal study, research, scholarship, and teaching. Theses may only be shared by linking to Carleton University Institutional Repository and no part may be used without proper attribution to the author. No part may be used for commercial purposes directly or indirectly via a for-profit platform; no adaptation or derivative works are permitted without consent from the copyright owner.
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- 2018
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harris-theidentitydefiningroleofforgettingintransformative.pdf | 2023-05-05 | Public | Download |