The development of Margery Kempe's 'maner of leuyng' : an interplay of oral and literate practices

This thesis examines Margery Kempe's construction of her 'maner of leuyng', as it shifts back and forth between oral and literate cultures. Her devotional biography involves seeking advice, inspiration and support from literate men, and enclosed women of religion, both through verbal exchanges, and through listening to sermons, or hearing books read aloud. As a lay secular woman, Margery is dependent on literate men to receive recognition as one of the mulieres sanctae, to provide her with a connection to the literate world, and ultimately to aid in the production of the manuscript now known as The Book of Margery Kempe.

Contextual topics include women and literacy, women and books, the education of women in the late medieval period, and especially orality and aurality. Margery's 'maner of leuyng' is shown to be not a random collection of characteristics and beliefs held by other holy men and women, but as a set of carefully selected traits and beliefs authorized and accredited by religious authorities. The relationship between the second amanuensis, or priest-scribe, and Margery is examined, including their individual roles in the production of the Book, as well as possible parallels between the Book and a Book of Hours, a book Margery may have possessed. The significance of codes of behaviour, including examining the relevance of meditatio, discretio spirituum, and tears and compunction, is also discussed.