Natasha Rebry University of British Columbia

Search for other papers by Natasha Rebry in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Playing the Man
Manliness and Mesmerism in Richard Marsh‘s The Beetle
Abstract only
Log-in for full text

Through an analysis of Richard Marsh‘s The Beetle (1897), this article explores a link between the practice of mesmerism and Victorian insecurities about the state of masculinity. It argues that The Beetle attempts– through the characterisation of mesmeric power as a dangerous virile energy and suggestibility to trance as effeminate and degenerate– to make a clear but highly unstable distinction between ideal and deviant forms of masculinity. In the process, Marsh‘s novel illuminates a complex relationship between the permeability of mind, body, and nation that paradoxically serves to both uphold and undermine the virility of the British male subject.

  • Collapse
  • Expand

All of MUP's digital content including Open Access books and journals is now available on manchesterhive.

 

All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 715 238 23
Full Text Views 84 2 0
PDF Downloads 69 1 0