Gertrude Dix
Gertrude Dix was an English novelist born in 1874 into a working-class family. She spent most of her life in Bristol, England, before relocating to Weimar, California, later in her life. Not much detailed information is available about her personal life, including whether she was married to someone with the surname Nicol. Dix's literary contributions include two novels: her debut, "The Girl from the Farm" (1895), focuses on the struggles of two siblings, Hilary and Katharine Marchant, navigating family dynamics and personal aspirations in the face of societal expectations. Her second novel, "The Image Breakers" (1900), received better critical acclaim and centers on themes of gender and class through the lives of writer Rosalind Dangerfield and artist Leslie Ardent as they challenge societal norms and confront complex relationships. While Dix's works were largely overlooked for many years, they have more recently been recognized as significant contributions to the New Woman fiction movement, reflecting the evolving roles of women in society.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Gertrude Dix
Writer
- Born: c. 1874
- Birthplace: Unknown
- Died: Unknown
Biography
Not much is known about novelist Gertrude Dix. She was born into a working class English family in 1874. She possibly worked as a nurse and lived most of her life in Bristol, England, before moving later in life to Weimar, California. It is unclear whether she married a man with the surname of Nicol.
Her first novel, The Girl from the Farm (1895), is the story of two young adult siblings, Hilary and Katharine Marchant, who live with their parents, Ellen and Cuthbert, the dean of Allington, where the novel is set. After Katherine graduates from Cambridge, she pursues a job in journalism, but her father’s blindness causes her to interrupt her plans. She helps her brother Hilary complete his manuscript while he seduces and impregnates the family servant. Katherine feels like a prisoner when it becomes clear her father wants her to remain at home. However, she finally leaves for London with the servant to pursue her dreams.
Dix’s second and last novel, The Image Breakers (1900), was better received by literary critics. The book tells the story of writer Rosalind Dangerfield and socialist artist Leslie Ardent, who revolt against implicit gender and class roles and find themselves disenchanted with life. Rosalind leaves Herbert, her mill owner husband, for anarchist editor, Justin Ferrar, and her friend Leslie takes a lover, John Redgold, a member of the Labor Party. The novel explores both conflicting relationships, men against women, within the volatile arenas of politics and ideals. Ferrar ultimately betrays Rosalind, while Leslie continues with Redgold. Dix’s works for the most part have long been ignored but have recently returned to light, recovered as part of New Woman fiction.