De Ritter, R orcid.org/0000-0002-2877-5137 (2022) The Feast of the Fishes: Satire, Slavery and Romantic-Period Children’s Literature. Romanticism, 28 (3). pp. 256-266. ISSN 1354-991X
Abstract
The pseudonymously authored The Feast of the Fishes (1808) is one of several ‘papillonades’ published for children in the early nineteenth century. Like other papillonades, this short poem depicts anthropomorphic animals in order to offer a satirical perspective on the conventions of polite society. The poem’s playful mock-heroic tone is, however, undermined by its depiction of a shark in pursuit of a slave ship. The image of sharks following slave ships was a potent symbol in abolitionist discourse, but its appearance within this comedic context makes its intended impact difficult to discern. In what spirit is this disturbing image offered? How are readers to make sense of the scarcely veiled horror of what is being depicted both verbally and visually? Addressing these questions, this article reassesses the generic identity of children’s literature and its relationship to the satirical and political discourse of the Romantic period.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © Edinburgh University Press 2022. This is an author produced version of an article published in Romanticism. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | children’s literature, papillonades, satire, slavery, laughter, John Ruskin |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of English (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 11 Jul 2022 10:02 |
Last Modified: | 16 May 2023 09:44 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Edinburgh University Press |
Identification Number: | 10.3366/rom.2022.0566 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:188738 |