Perverse Feelings - Poe and American Masculinity

Perverse Feelings: Poe and American Masculinity examines white masculinity in Poe's fiction and the culture it represents. Poe's men are tormented by chronic illness, deviant attachments, and ugly emotions. As it analyzes these afflictions, this book illuminates the pathologies of American masculinity that emerged in a terrible history of imperialism, capitalism, racism, misogyny, and homophobia. One of its central contentions is that we can better understand a past and present American masculinity through a reckoning with its "perverse feelings." More pointedly, this book asks: What does masculinity feel? What does white American masculinity feel in the first decades of nation formation? What does it feel in the crucible of its revolution, its slave system, its democracy, its nascent capitalism, and its pursuit of happiness? What feelings besiege and beleaguer Poe's men? And what can they teach us about the antagonisms of contemporary white American masculinity?

List of contents

Introduction: Perverse Feelings
Chapter 1: Hate
Chapter 2: Melancholia
Chapter 3: Disgust
Chapter 4: Resentment
Chapter 5: Revenge
Conclusion: Ambivalence

About the author

Suzanne Ashworth is professor in the Department of English and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Otterbein University.

Summary

Perverse Feelings examines white masculinity in Poe's fiction and the culture it represents. Poe's men are tormented by ugly emotions. As it analyzes these afflictions, the book illuminates the pathologies of a past American masculinity. Just as importantly, it reminds us that "toxic masculinity" has a history.

Product details

• Authors: Suzanne Ashworth, Ashworth Suzanne
• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.10.2022
• EAN: 9781793626523
• ISBN: 978-1-79362-652-3
• No. of pages: 234
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Sociological theories; SOCIAL SCIENCE / Gender Studies, LITERARY CRITICISM / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Men's Studies, Literature: history & criticism, Gender studies, gender groups, Gender Studies: Men, Gender studies: men & boys