Abstract
Jacqueline Kelly's historical novel, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (2009), interrogates whether a young girl in 1899 can pursue science, despite the gender restrictions placed on her by society. This article explores how Calpurnia both follows and usurps the gender expectations of turn-of-the-century, American girls' literature, namely that the girls' bildungsromane usually ends in marriage instead of a scientific career. Because Calpurnia ends before the heroine is grown, the novel has unresolved tension, making its gender ideology opaque.
Original language | American English |
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Journal | Children's Literature Association Quarterly |
Volume | 46 |
State | Published - 2021 |
Keywords
- girls' literature
- bildungsroman
- girls in STEM
- historical fiction
Disciplines
- English Language and Literature
- Children's and Young Adult Literature