Sexuality and Subordination: Interdisciplinary Studies of Gender in the Nineteenth Century

by Susan Mendus (Editor)

Overview

Sexuality and Subordination uses the insights of a range of disciplines to examine the construction of gender in nineteenth-century Britain and France. With contributions from history, literature, sociology and philosophy, its interdisciplinary approach demonstrates the extent to which a common focus can illuminate problems inaccessible to any single discipline.
'Victorianism' is generally understood to mean sexual double standards, hypocrisy and prudery among the middle classes. But, as this collection shows, the representation of sexuality in the nineteenth century was more diverse and complex than is sometimes realized. Both art and literature point to the deployment of sexual metaphors and imagery, and the language of educated public opinion was shaped by the dichotomy between mind and matter, between rationality and sexuality. The contributors to this volume explore how women, in questioning their subordination, had to challenge a construction of femininity which imposed sexual ignorance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781134981298
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/11/2002
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Susan Mendus, Jane Rendall

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION PART I REPRESENTATIONS OF SEXUALITY 1 BALZAC’S A DAUGHTER OF EVE AND THE APPLE OF KNOWLEDGE 2 THE LADY OF SHALOTT IN ART AND LITERATURE 3 ‘SEX’ AND ‘RACE’: THE CONSTRUCTION OF LANGUAGE AND IMAGE IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY PART II SEXUALITY, SUBORDINATION, AND FEMINISM 4 FRIENDSHIP AND POLITICS: BARBARA LEIGH SMITH BODICHON (1827–91) AND BESSIE RAYNER PARKES (1829–1925) 5 THE MARRIAGE OF TRUE MINDS: THE IDEAL OF MARRIAGE IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF JOHN STUART MILL 6 WOMEN’S BIOLOGICAL STRAITJACKET 7 PRIVILEGE AND PATRIARCHY: FEMINIST THOUGHT IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY; POSTSCRIPT

Editorial Reviews

'Certainly to be recommended to social historians of the nineteenth century.' - Social History Society Newsletter

From the Publisher