<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>This essay delivers an analysis of the innovative short fiction of contemporary British writer Sarah Hall. It gives particular consideration to the first two collections of short stories published by the author, <italic>The Beautiful Indifference</italic> (2011) and <italic>Madame Zero</italic> (2017), as well as looking into the possibilities offered by her latest collection, <italic>Sudden Traveler</italic> (2019). Hall focuses attention on such varied contemporary preoccupations as identity, gender, violence and death. My goal is to discuss the way that identities are subverted or transgressed in her short stories and how the topic of identity representation intersects with other themes becoming a fundamental and empowering factor in the narrative structure. Hall’s short story collections present an interesting case study, not only because they display the writer’s quest for a unity of subject-matter, but also because they evince the strength and vitality of the short story as a genre.</p></abstract>

This essay delivers an analysis of the innovative short fiction of contemporary British writer Sarah Hall. It gives particular consideration to the first two collections of short stories published by the author, The Beautiful Indifference (2011) and Madame Zero (2017), as well as looking into the possibilities offered by her latest collection, Sudden Traveler (2019). Hall focuses attention on such varied contemporary preoccupations as identity, gender, violence and death. My goal is to discuss the way that identities are subverted or transgressed in her short stories and how the topic of identity representation intersects with other themes becoming a fundamental and empowering factor in the narrative structure. Hall’s short story collections present an interesting case study, not only because they display the writer’s quest for a unity of subject-matter, but also because they evince the strength and vitality of the short story as a genre.

Transgression and Empowerment in Sarah Hall’s Short Fiction

Universidade Europeia, Lisbon, ULICES – University of Lisbon Centre for English Studies

American, British and Canadian Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Transgression and Empowerment in Sarah Hall\u2019s Short Fiction"}

This essay delivers an analysis of the innovative short fiction of contemporary British writer Sarah Hall. It gives particular consideration to the first two...

Transgression and Empowerment in Sarah Hall’s Short Fiction

Published Online: Mar 01, 2021

Page range: 152 - 172

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/abcsj-2020-0021

Keywords
Sarah Hall, contemporary short fiction, identity, transgression, empowerment

© 2020 Ana Raquel Fernandes, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Transgression and Empowerment in Sarah Hall’s Short Fiction

Published Online: Mar 01, 2021

Page range: 152 - 172

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/abcsj-2020-0021

KeywordsSarah Hall, contemporary short fiction, identity, transgression, empowerment

© 2020 Ana Raquel Fernandes, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Sarah Hall, contemporary short fiction, identity, transgression, empowerment