Passion and Pathology in Victorian Fiction
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Author Description
In what was once described as 'the century of nerves', a fascination with the mysterious processes governing physical and psychological states was shared by medical and fiction writers alike. This study offers an integrated analysis of how medicine and literature figured the connection between the body and the mind. Alongside detailed examinations of some of the century's most influential neurological and physiological theories, Jane Wood brings readings of both major and relatively neglected fictions - a range which includes work by Charlotte Bronte and George MacDonald, George Eliot and Wilkie Collins, Thomas Hardy and George Gissing. Stepping into an already lively area of interdisciplinary debate, Passion and Pathology in distinguished by its recognition of the intellectual and imaginative force of both discourses: it extends our understanding of the interaction between science and literature in the wider culture of the period.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This study investigates the intersection of nineteenth-century medical discourse and literary production, specifically focusing on how Victorian writers and physicians conceptualized the relationship between the body and the mind. Jane Wood, an expert in Victorian literature, utilizes a comparative framework to examine how neurological and physiological theories of the era informed the narrative structures and characterizations found in both canonical and lesser-known works. By analyzing the 'century of nerves,' the book argues that medical and literary discourses were mutually constitutive, shaping the broader cultural understanding of human psychology and physical pathology.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of nineteenth-century neurological and physiological theories.
- Comparative readings of works by Charlotte Bronte, George MacDonald, George Eliot, Wilkie Collins, Thomas Hardy, and George Gissing.
- Examination of the historical context surrounding the 'century of nerves' and its impact on Victorian intellectual life.
- An interdisciplinary methodology that bridges the gap between medical history and literary analysis.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and critics recognize this work as a significant contribution to the interdisciplinary study of Victorian science and literature. The text is frequently cited for its balanced approach to integrating complex medical history with nuanced literary criticism.
Page Count:
240
Publication Date:
2001-09-06
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0198187602
ISBN-13:
9780198187608
History
In literature
Victorian
Literary Criticism
