Unveiling the Silence in Queer Historical Novels: Celebration of Female Masculinity in Tipping the Velvet

Cerezo Menac, Laura
Aliaga-Lavrijsen, Jessica (dir.)

Universidad de Zaragoza, FFYL, 2023
Departamento de Filología Inglesa y Alemana, Área de Filología Inglesa

Graduado en Estudios Ingleses

Resumen: This dissertation analyses Sarah Water’s novel Tipping the Velvet (1998) as a Queer historical novel, with a special focus on the topic of female masculinity and how it is portrayed by the character of Nancy Astley, which I argue represents the figure of the butch lesbian. The novel has been discussed to belong to the Neo-Victorian novel tradition and in the author's own words, her focus is not on providing an ‘accurate depiction of Victorian sexuality but on contemporary debates’, as she advocates for an ‘intensive use of history’, describing lesbian historical novels as ‘performative’ rather than ‘descriptive’ (Doan and Waters, 2000: 20; 13). As such, I argue that the novel allows for an exploration of lesbian historical experiences but also how it reflects the past into the present. Therefore, to carry out the analysis of the novel as a queer historical novel, this dissertation will be making use of several studies on Water’s novels from the point of view of historical fiction, as well as using the words of important historical fiction theorists such as Jerome De Groot. With this notion considered, I will analyze the main character as one that represents the struggle of both past and present female masculinity, both outside and inside of the lesbian community. In order to do this, Judith’s
Buttler theory of gender performance will be used complimented with Jack Halberstam’s theories of female masculinity to analyze the gender performance of the main character in particular related to her masculinity and her character as a butch lesbian. I argue that Waters is able to celebrate a long marginalized and silenced minority as butch lesbians and by conducting an analysis of their experiences, the novel both uncovers the struggles faced by butch lesbians in the past and also shed light on their present-day experiences. I suggest that by giving voice to this silenced identity in relation to a sympathetic community that accepts them, Waters not only challenges traditional narratives and broadens our understanding of the
past but also fosters an ethics of care based on the importance of diversity and acceptance, in which remembering who you are and those who came before you and kindness are the most important parts to achieve an understanding community in which there is no space for bigotry.

Tipo de Trabajo Académico: Trabajo Fin de Grado