ABSTRACT

Mary Francis Cusack (1829–1899) was a prolific writer, historian and publisher, producing over forty books during her life-time. She was a vocal supporter of the Land League, an advocate for female education and an early believer in the Marian apparitions at Knock. She was also, for much of her career, an enclosed nun. Her religious identity was essential to the literary persona which she cultivated throughout her career. Through her books and the press, she relied upon and adapted common tropes associated with women religious in order to give her opinions weight. By doing so she was, perversely, able to write about topics normally off-limits to women religious. Even after converting to Methodism in later life, her identity as a former nun was integral to how she presented herself. Cusack’s fame and success provides a valuable insight into the position and visibility of religious women in nineteenth-century society.

摘要

玛丽·弗朗西斯·库萨克（Mary Francis Cusack，1829-1899 年）是一位多产的作家、历史学家和出版商，一生创作了 40 多本书。她是土地联盟的坚定支持者，女性教育的倡导者，也是诺克玛丽安幻影的早期信徒。在她职业生涯的大部分时间里，她也是一名封闭的修女。她的宗教身份对于她在整个职业生涯中培养的文学形象至关重要。通过她的书籍和媒体，她依赖并改编了与女性宗教相关的常见比喻，以赋予她的意见分量。通过这样做，她反常地能够写出通常禁止女性信教的话题。即使在晚年皈依卫理公会之后，她作为前修女的身份也是她展示自己的方式不可或缺的一部分。