Bøger af Charlotte Charke

Charlotte Charke's narrative is a fascinating autobiographical account of the life of Colley Cibber's youngest daughter, detailing her experiences as a female actor in the 18th century. Anyone interested in theater history, early feminism or autobiographical writing will find this book compelling.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Charlotte Charke, the estranged daughter of British poet laureate Colley Cibber, was an 18th century actress, playwright, novelist and noted transvestite. In this scandalous memoir, Charke recounts her extraordinary double life as "Charles Brown," her career on stage in "breeches roles," and her misadventures as a doctor, shopkeeper, sausage merchant, valet, groom, puppeteer, pastry cook, and tavern owner. She describes her painful separation from her father and her struggle with poverty in the era of debtors' prison. Dedicated to herself, A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Charlotte Charke is at once witty and eccentric, colorful and enigmatic, and establishes its author as one of the great transgressive figures of her time.

Charlotte Charke's autobiography, published in 1755, is far more than an exploration of social gender roles, as quite a number of critics have claimed. Charke's text is an example of the complex interactions between identity creation and gender expectations of society, family, and self.