This thesis further uncovers the lineage of the popular romance genre by examining two recurring themes: sexual danger and Orientalism. I propose that a pervading character is integral to the development of the genre – the ‘Oriental beast’ – a racialised version of the hero from the fairy tale ‘Beauty and the Beast’. With a comparative approach, I explore the reappearance of this figure from early eighteenth-century novellas to twentieth-century visual culture. I begin with the amatory fiction of Eliza Haywood and Penelope Aubin (1720-30), the Gothic novel Zofloya by Charlotte Dacre (1806), moving to The Veil by E. S. Drower (1909), The Sheik by E. M. Hull (1919), and ending with an analysis of The Sheik film (1921) and other mediums it had inspired, such as women’s magazines. My conclusion confirms the rich, intricate history of romance, its problematic legacy of racism and the Oriental beast’s mysterious connection with authenticity.
and here's an alternative abstract which appears at the start of the thesis document:
This thesis uncovers a history of popular romance from 1721-1930. It argues that there are recurring racial stereotypes of Middle Eastern, North African, Mediterranean and East Asian cultures which have contributed to the early development of the genre. The primary motive of the genre, which is to incite pleasure is enabled by repeating foreign character types, especially the emergence of a mixed-race hero – named the Oriental beast. By examining eighteenth-century captivity stories, a Gothic novel, early twentieth-century mass-market fiction and visual culture, the thesis tracks the representation of the romantic Orient from a fearful destination to an aspirational home. It concludes by drawing attention to the contemporary relevance of its findings regarding the romance publishing industry, including the downfall of the trade association, the Romance Writers of America, following allegations of racism.
Here's the abstract from the thesis repository:
and here's an alternative abstract which appears at the start of the thesis document: