Natural Masques Gender and Identity in Fielding&146s Plays and Novels [Hardcover]

The author breaks with old critical commonplaces that contrast Fielding's masculinity with Samuel Richardson's feminine sensibilities. She argues that a preoccupation with the tenuousness of gendered identity appears throughout Fielding's writings, and that Fielding shared that preoccupation with his contemporaries.

This excellent study of Fielding's works takes as its central metaphor the masque (or mask) used throughout his career to explore the often complicated relationships among biological sex, gender, sexuality, and identity. The author is impressive both in her scope . . . and in her incisiveness. . . . This is a major work. —Choice

“This excellent study of Fielding’s works takes as its central metaphor the masque (or mask) used throughout his career to explore the often complicated relationships among biological sex, gender, sexuality, and identity. The author is impressive both in her scope . . . and in her incisiveness. . . . This is a major work.”—Choice