Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2023
Abstract
This paper analyzes the intersection of dress, labour, and marriage in Cicely Hamilton’s Diana of Dobson’s. Staging the shop girl in unconventional ways, Hamilton connects the labour and marriage market into one “megamarket” that women must navigate for their economic security. The various outfits of Diana, which grant her access to several distinct worlds, encourage an exploration of this complex “megamarket” of marriage and labour. Considering moments from each act, this essay will examine Diana’s negotiation of the various aspects of this megamarket. Ultimately, this essay strives to demonstrate how Diana, though never fully successful in breaking free from the market, begins to unravel society’s fabric, fashioning change one pulled thread at a time.