Form and meaning in Dorothy M. Richardsonś Pilgrimage

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The aphorism „Chaos is merely order waiting to be deciphered“ synthesises the aim of this book, which is to show Pilgrimage´s aspiration to organic unity and coherence. This research piece provides evidence for the way in which the novel´s mythical structure mirrors the heroine´s physical and psychological maturation process, making good the Russian Formalist contention that form and meaning are inextricably linked to each other. The textual analysis focuses on the Modernist techniques associated with stream-of-consciousness fiction and on Miriam´s roles as narrator and protagonist, which evolve from distance to identification, in a movement that parallels the protagonist´s progressive assumption of narrative control and her transformation from purblind heroine to visionary writer. Finally, the study analyses 'Pilgrimage' as a manifestation of the archetype of the mythical hero´s quest as represented by the major arcana of the Tarot. It concludes that Miriam´s journey materialises the Quaker idea of spiritual development towards an inner light existing at the centre of her own self.