The 'Singular' Utopia in Margaret Cavendish`s Blazing World

Abstract

Singularity simultaneously intrigued, haggled, suppressed, and finally epitomized Margaret Cavendish's entire life. Through her strikingly indecorous costumes, similarly improper command of language, eagerness to participate in the public sphere, and audacious attempts to publish her own works in her lifetime, the Duchess of Newcastle craved for social recognition of her originality. Most of her attempts at self-fashioning, however, engendered manifold ridicules and foulmouthed criticisms. As a way to defend herself against such odium, Cavendish resorted to the class privilege bolstered by her marriage to William Cavendish and false modesty-a commonplace rhetoric that female writers adopted in proclaiming and protecting their authorship. Yet, what is 'singular' about Cavendish is that she created her own world within narratives; in so doing, I believe, she could gain a genuine sense of ownership/authorship.