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La Robe à la Française et la Robe l’Odalisque: wearing women’s clothing in The Rose of Versailles
Citation
King, E, La Robe à la Francaise et la Robe l'Odalisque: wearing women's clothing in The Rose of Versailles, Studies in Costume & Performance, 6, (1) Article 19. ISSN 2052-4021 (2021) [Refereed Article]
Abstract
The androgynous heroine of Ikeda Ryoko’s manga The Rose of Versailles (1972‐73), Oscar Françoise de Jarjayes, is usually depicted in masculine, specifically military, attire. The sixth daughter of an important military colonel during the reign of Louis XV
and Louis XVI, Oscar is raised as a son and follows her father into the military. Oscar is only ever depicted in one dress, known as the robe l’odalisque ‐ a gown that is adopted at a pivotal moment of character development. It is while wearing this dress, which Ikeda intended
to serve as a wedding dress, that Oscar comes to terms with her unrequited love for Marie Antoinette’s lover, Count Axel von Fersen. In doing so, Oscar places more importance on her allegiance to France than to romance. This article investigates the complicated gender and social politics
that are symbolized by the choice to wear women’s clothing in The Rose of Versailles.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | Rose of Versailles, manga, cross dressing, Rocco, dress, textiles |
Research Division: | Language, Communication and Culture |
Research Group: | Communication and media studies |
Research Field: | Media studies |
Objective Division: | Culture and Society |
Objective Group: | Communication |
Objective Field: | Communication across languages and culture |
UTAS Author: | King, E (Dr Emerald King) |
ID Code: | 145914 |
Year Published: | 2021 |
Deposited By: | Global Cultures and Languages |
Deposited On: | 2021-08-11 |
Last Modified: | 2021-09-21 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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