Page - 98 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 07/01

98 | Daria Pezzoli-Olgiati www.jrfm.eu 2021, 7/1, 95–122 A Collapsing Self-reflexion: A Close Reading of the Sampler9 In this sampler, a young woman named Elizabeth Parker materialises her au- tobiography, in a textile design produced after 1829 (this date appears in the text, line 14). The narration is not always straight or linear and as the report progresses, the sentences become urgent and muddled. Towards the end, the style becomes more and more idiosyncratic. Suddenly, the narrative stops. The composition, consisting of 46 lines, contains almost no punctuation. The capitalisation is not consistent.10 As I discuss later, at certain points a 9 https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O70506/sampler-parker-elizabeth/ [accessed 20 April 2020]; Browne/Wearden 1999, 108. 10 The transcription reproduces the graphic of the artefact, including some letters s that are mirror-inversed. The complete text is reproduced below as an appendix. Fig. 1: Elizabeth Parker’s sampler, ca. 1830 (?), England, embroidered linen with red silk in cross-stitch, height: 85.8 cm, width 74.4 cm, V&A T.6-1956.8 (© Victoria and Albert Museum, London)