Exploring the intricate relationship between water and Victorian society, this study reveals how aquatic agency influenced politics, urban reform, and gender roles in 19th-century Britain. Utilizing material ecocriticism, Kluwick analyzes works by prominent authors alongside various cultural artifacts to highlight Victorian anxieties surrounding water contamination. The book examines how landscapes like sewers and rivers were linked to moral decay, arguing for the significance of realism in understanding these themes within the context of the Anthropocene.
