Monstrous Women and Ecofeminism in the Victorian Gothic, 1837–1871

Nicole C. Dittmer's book "Monstrous Women and Ecofeminism" reimagines the Gothic female "monster" figure in early-to-mid-Victorian literature, challenging dualism and exposing female monstrosities as material and semiotic figurations.

Format: Hardback
Length: 238 pages
Publication date: 20 October 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Nicole C. Dittmer presents a fresh perspective on the iconic Gothic female "monster" figure in early-to-mid-Victorian literature. Despite the extensive scholarship on monstrosities, these pre-fin-de-siècle figurations have often been overlooked or interpreted as fragmented representations of mind and body, creating a divide between culture and nature. In her book Monstrous Women and Ecofeminism, Dittmer employs monism to differentiate from and challenge this dualism, harmonizes the material and immaterial aspects of fictional women, and blurs the boundary between nature and culture. By integrating intertextual disciplines of medical sciences, ecofeminism, and fiction, she unveils female monstrosities as both material and semiotic constructs. This book, therefore, highlights how Victorian Gothic women are shaped by the intertwining of immaterial discourses and material conditions. When suppressed by societal norms, the monistic mind-body of the material-semiotic figure responds and disrupts ontological processes, transforming women into "wild" and "monstrous" representations.

Weight: 506g
Dimension: 160 x 235 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781666900798