The Legacy of the Feminine Ghostly Tales Tradition in the Novels of Wendy Webb

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to argue that Wendy Webb incorporated key elements of the feminine ghostly tales tradition of the 1890s-1930s, as well as the American Gothic and Female Gothic, into the plots of her novels, thus adapting these traditions for a contemporary audience. She explores the effects of the past on the present, demonstrating how the sins of the past can only be repressed or ignored for so long before they manifest in often unforeseen, and potentially dangerous, ways. Webb recognizes that these events, while traumatic, offer her protagonists the opportunity for healing, growth, and self-actualization, which is a stark contrast to the often bleak fates of the characters in the works of her nineteenth and early twentieth century counterparts in the feminine ghostly tales tradition. Since there is relatively little scholarship available on both Wendy Webb and her works, this topic represents a gap in the research of the American Gothic tradition and the feminine ghostly tales tradition.

Disciplines

American Literature | American Studies

Subject Area

Literature; American literature; Womens studies; American studies

Department

Humanities (HUM)

First Advisor

Irving, Washington

Second Advisor

Cowdin, Daniel

Third Advisor

O'Callaghan, Sean

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

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