Tiffany Problem
The Tiffany Problem or Tiffany Effect, refers to the issue where a historical or realistic fact seems anachronistic or unrealistic to modern audiences of historical fiction, despite being accurate. This often occurs with names, terms, or practices that, although historically accurate, feel out of place due to modern associations.[1]
Origin of the term
[edit]Nicola Cornick first discussed the Tiffany Effect in 2018 after recently learning about the phenomenon and encountering the term. She explained that the name Tiffany derives from Theophania, a name for girls in medieval England and France.[2] However, if a historical fiction writer were to name a character Tiffany in a medieval European setting, the audience would likely perceive it as inaccurate.[3] Jo Walton coined the term Tiffany Problem in 2019 to refer to this phenomenon.[4]
Examples
[edit]Names
[edit]Other than the name Tiffany, the following names have been mistakenly thought to be of modern origin but are actually historical: Shane, which dates back to the 17th century as a masculine name derived from Gaelic; Beverly, which originates from the term "beaver meadow" and has historical usage; Wade, rooted in Early English and popular in the medieval period; and Nicola, historically used as a male name in Italy and borne by notable figures like the 12th-century Nicola de la Haye.[2]
Others
[edit]The first known vending machine, created in the 1st century A.D. by Hero of Alexandria, dispensed holy water. This invention predates the modern concept of vending machines by nearly 2,000 years, making it seem anachronistic in ancient history.[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Lingen, Marissa (2019-03-05). "That Never Happened: Misplaced Skepticism and the Mechanisms of Suspension of Disbelief". Uncanny Magazine. No. 27. p. 120.
- ^ a b Cornick, Nicola (2018-04-23). "The Tiffany Effect". Word Wenches. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
- ^ Pendergraft, Nat (May 2023). The Gray Area: Sexuality and Gender in Wartime Reevaluated (Master of Arts thesis). Orange, CA: Chapman University. pp. 6–7. doi:10.36837/chapman.000476.
- ^ Russo, Stephanie (2023-12-01). The Anachronistic Turn: Historical Fiction, Drama, Film and Television. Taylor & Francis. p. 41. ISBN 978-1-003-81434-4.
- ^ Franco, Samantha (2022-04-08). "The Tiffany Problem: 6 Historical Oddities That Don't Seem To Make Sense". The Vintage News. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
Further reading
[edit]- Walton, Jo (2019-05-21). "Putting the Historical in Historical Fantasy". Tor/Forge Blog.
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