"Imbued with the science of Venus": Female Fallenness, Sexual Pedagogy, and Victorian Pornography
Issue Date
2010-12-16Author
Wicktor, Emily D.
Publisher
University of Kansas
Format
393 pages
Type
Dissertation
Degree Level
Ph.D.
Discipline
English
Rights
This item is protected by copyright and unless otherwise specified the copyright of this thesis/dissertation is held by the author.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
As a decidedly heterogeneous genre, Victorian pornography offers a wide range of sexual narratives, including those that directly challenge both real and fictional narrative constructions of female fallenness by foregrounding female sexual education and contraception practice. However, Victorian pornography is far too often reduced to an analysis of male-driven, fetish-driven, or fantasy-driven narratives. Fastening pornography to the fantasy realm of the imaginary removes the ability to critically read variation within the genre for the real-life cultural work the explicitly tangible directives do, especially regarding the "problems of sex" as they connect to protective female sexual pedagogy as a route to avoid a sexual and social fall. As a reader, critic, and scholar of Victorian pornography, I contend that within the expansive narrative boundaries of the genre there exists a direct challenge to female fallenness, an active, purposeful "writing back" to a restrictive, sadistic narrative of scandalous pregnancy and public shame.
Collections
- Dissertations [4701]
- English Dissertations and Theses [449]
Items in KU ScholarWorks are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.
We want to hear from you! Please share your stories about how Open Access to this item benefits YOU.