Masculinity and the English Working Class

Studies in Victorian Autobiography and Fiction

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, British
Cover of the book Masculinity and the English Working Class by Ying Lee, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Ying Lee ISBN: 9781135860318
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: May 6, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Ying Lee
ISBN: 9781135860318
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: May 6, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

This book examines representations of working-class masculine subjectivity in Victorian autobiography and fiction. In it, Ying focuses on ideas of domesticity and the male body and demonstrates that working-class masculinities differ substantially from those of the widely studied upper classes.

The book also maps the relationship between two trends: the early nineteenth-century efflorescence of published working-class autobiographies (in which working men construct their identities for a broad readership); and a contemporaneous surge of public interest in "the lower orders" that finds reflection in the depiction of working-class characters in popular novels by middle-class authors.

The book mimics this point of convergence by pairing three working-class autobiographies with three middle-class novels. Each chapter focuses on a particular type of work: domestic service, manual (not artisanal) labour, and literary labour (and the opportunities it offers for social advancement). Ying considers the specific ways in which classed and gendered consciousness emerges autobiographically and its significance in the writing of working-class subjectivity for public consumption. Then mainstream novels by Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell and Charles Kingsley are re-read from the perspective of these autobiographical pressure points.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This book examines representations of working-class masculine subjectivity in Victorian autobiography and fiction. In it, Ying focuses on ideas of domesticity and the male body and demonstrates that working-class masculinities differ substantially from those of the widely studied upper classes.

The book also maps the relationship between two trends: the early nineteenth-century efflorescence of published working-class autobiographies (in which working men construct their identities for a broad readership); and a contemporaneous surge of public interest in "the lower orders" that finds reflection in the depiction of working-class characters in popular novels by middle-class authors.

The book mimics this point of convergence by pairing three working-class autobiographies with three middle-class novels. Each chapter focuses on a particular type of work: domestic service, manual (not artisanal) labour, and literary labour (and the opportunities it offers for social advancement). Ying considers the specific ways in which classed and gendered consciousness emerges autobiographically and its significance in the writing of working-class subjectivity for public consumption. Then mainstream novels by Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell and Charles Kingsley are re-read from the perspective of these autobiographical pressure points.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Management Consultancy by Ying Lee
Cover of the book Addressing Climate Change at the Community Level in the United States by Ying Lee
Cover of the book When It's Time to Leave Your Lover by Ying Lee
Cover of the book Professional Chaplaincy and Clinical Pastoral Education Should Become More Scientific by Ying Lee
Cover of the book Regional Cuisines of Medieval Europe by Ying Lee
Cover of the book Buddhist Thought by Ying Lee
Cover of the book Building a Bigger Europe by Ying Lee
Cover of the book Global Perspectives on the Politics of Multiculturalism in the 21st Century by Ying Lee
Cover of the book The Medieval and Early Modern Garden in Britain by Ying Lee
Cover of the book P&I Clubs: Law and Practice by Ying Lee
Cover of the book France and the Spanish Civil War by Ying Lee
Cover of the book The Routledge Handbook of Tourism Impacts by Ying Lee
Cover of the book Advertising and New Media by Ying Lee
Cover of the book Play, Creativity, and Social Movements by Ying Lee
Cover of the book Anger, Hostility, and the Heart by Ying Lee
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy