Sex and Death in Victorian Literature Book

This collection of essays examines the links between the images of death and sexuality in Victorian fiction and poetry. The contributors examine the ways in which fear of death was placed beside sexual desire and how Victorian writers managed to write about sex without overtly referring to it. The essays include an examination of Count Dracula's eternal seductions, an exploration of the pairing of Eros and Thanatos in George Eliot's fiction and an exploration of the work of Ruskin. Some of the essays attempt to "undo" much of the preceding critical wisdom on the subject. The dialectics of sex and death, these critics claim, must be viewed as one of the most influential patterns in Victorian poetry and prose. Regina Barreca has written "Punch Lines: Women, Comedy and Subversion in English and American Literature" and is editor of "Last Laughs: Perspectives on Women and Comedy".Read More