Gendered satire In Dawn Powell’s Angels on Toast

Abstract

This thesis employs thematical analysis to conduct a gendered reading of Dawn Powell’s satirical novel Angels on Toast (1940). The central theme of the empirical analysis is performative identity, presented through the portrayal of the male and female characters and the idealised romantic relationships. The thesis includes an introduction that gives a brief overview of Powell and the novel, in addition identifying the research gap. This is followed by a literature review that covers humour, satire and the gendered subcategories of the two. Previous scholarship on Powell’s work is also discussed and the methodology introduced. The analysis is divided into two subchapters, which analyse the representation of the themes through the satirical techniques of exaggeration, irony and incongruity. The conclusion summarises the main findings of the thesis. Keywords: gendered satire, performed identity, Dawn Powell, thematical analysis