Charlotte Yonge, The Daisy Chain

Talia Schaffer (Queens College, CUNY)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.07: English Writing and Culture of the Victorian Period, 1837-1901.
Vol. editors: Gillian Fenwick (University of Toronto), Grace Moore (University of Otago)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1856

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

The Daisy Chain (1856) may be Charlotte M. Yonge's most popular novel. Like Yonge's other family sagas, The Daisy Chain traces the development of several siblings over decades (continued in its sequel, The Trial). Ethel must relinquish her self-taught Greek, and even abjure spectacles, in order to be properly feminine: she must devote herself to domestic duties and pursue church-related missions. Yonge clearly regarded Ethel's indoctrination as an exemplary case of self-discipline over weak indulgence, and developed the character into a perhaps autobiographical case study in how to have a satisfying life as a spinster. Similarly, Ethel's brilliant brother Norman gives up his extraordinary academic career to become a …

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130 words

Citation: Schaffer, Talia. "The Daisy Chain". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 January 2002 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=1150, accessed 26 November 2024.]

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