Manliness and the Male Novelist in Victorian Literature

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Exploring the complexities of Victorian masculinity, the book examines the paradox of a disciplined male ideal coexisting with prevalent images of male deviance in literature. Dowling introduces the concept of "hegemonic deviance," suggesting that masculinity is defined in opposition to what it is not. Through an analysis of authors like Dickens and Thackeray, he highlights the fear of effeminacy among male writers and their strategies to assert their masculinity. Ultimately, the work reveals masculinity as a constructed identity shaped by societal anxieties rather than an inherent trait.