New Historicist Study of Demon Lover

This paper takes two steps to have a brief view on The Demon Lover, from New Historicist point of view.

The first step, represents three methodologies which are necessary in which unlocking the text according to New Historicism. The second step develops each methodology with reference to the text of the work and depicts different views in this regard.

Since New Historicists view an aesthetic work as a social production, a text's meaning resides for them in the cultural system, composed of the Demon Lover from New Historicist point of view, three area of concern should be investigated: (1) Elizabeth Bowen's life; (2) the social rules and dictates within the text; and (3) the reflection of this work's historical situations evidenced in the text.

To begin with the first field, we need to be familiar with the time during which Bowen lived and produced her works, not as a contextual matter but as the main source of her discourse and narration:

Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973), an Anglo-Irish novelist, short story writer, and essayist, mostly deals with the themes of war and the fatal results that it brings about. She experienced two different wars- the First World War and the Second World War- and also Anglo-Irish war of 1919-1921. That is why she is called a war-writer.

Her famous works, The Last September (novel, 1929), The House in Paris (novel, 1935), The Death of the Heart (novel, 1938), and The Heart of the Day (novel, 1949) reflect her borrowing effects of war on sexual relations and the concept of the true lover.

In The Demon Lover like her other works, Bowen, under the deep influence of her war-beaten society, shows the shattered communication among people and the lack of aff...

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War is male-made, out of the power of females. This is true about different periods of history. The feminists believe that war is a phenomenon which drives men to the border of erasure and puts their trend to existence and tranquility under question.

From this stance, "The Demon Lover" acts successfully. Though this stance (the male-made war) is pervaded in different parts of the discourse, we see les or no pretence of soldiers as the agents of destructive sex. Women fall victim and suffers the calamity that men bring about. For women, there is no escape from the detrimental effects of war, which during the history is made by men and brings a great deal of suffering for women.

In short, The Demon Lover, Bowen challenges all historical, cultural and social ideologies that are constructed n the basis of apocalyptic views and mendacity.