Victorian legs: Degeneracy, disability, decorum, desire

Clayton Tarr

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Victorian legs

Degeneracy, disability, decorum, desire

Clayton Tarr

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2025

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About this book

Victorian legs is about the science (sometimes spurious) and sexuality (often frivolous) of legs during the Victorian period. The book argues that legs occupy a particularly vexed position in Victorian culture. Strong legs formed the foundation (or the columns) of the civilized subject, but the politics of who could show their legs remained gendered. For the most part, men exhibited and admired, while women concealed and demurred. This book not only joins and advances the lively critical discourse on the Victorian body, but also marks new paths to pursue. While legs made us human, they could also dehumanize.

Author / Editor information

Clayton Carlyle Tarr is Assistant Professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte

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Front Matter
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Contents
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List of figures
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Introduction
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I Degeneracy—Backpedaling
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Part I – Introduction
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1 Atrophy in The Time Machine
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2 Atavism in Heart of Darkness
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II Disability—Cane and able
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Part II – Introduction
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3 Prosthesis in Our Mutual Friend
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4 Posthuman in The Law and the Lady
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III Decorum—Right ankles
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Part III – Introduction
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5 Form in Barchester Towers
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6 Reform in Armadale
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IV Desire—Calf worship
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Part IV – Introduction
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7 Muscle in Barnaby Rudge
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8 Masculinity in King Solomon’s Mines
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Conclusion
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Bibliography
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Index
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Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

September 2, 2025

eBook ISBN:

9781526188960

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

https://doi.org/10.7765/9781526188960

eBook ISBN: 9781526188960

Keywords for this book

Athony Trollope; Charles Darwin; Charles Dickens; disabilities; gender studies; H. G. Wells; H. Rider Haggard; Herman Melville; Joseph Conrad; masculinity; novels by men; Robert Louis Stevenson; sexuality; Victorian art; Victorian legs; Victorian literature; Wilkie Collins

Audience(s) for this book

For a non-specialist adult audience

Victorian legs

About this book

Author / Editor information

Topics

Front Matter

Contents

List of figures

Introduction

I Degeneracy—Backpedaling

Part I – Introduction

1 Atrophy in The Time Machine

2 Atavism in Heart of Darkness

II Disability—Cane and able

Part II – Introduction

3 Prosthesis in Our Mutual Friend

4 Posthuman in The Law and the Lady

III Decorum—Right ankles

Part III – Introduction

5 Form in Barchester Towers

6 Reform in Armadale

IV Desire—Calf worship

Part IV – Introduction

7 Muscle in Barnaby Rudge

8 Masculinity in King Solomon’s Mines

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index

Victorian legs

Overview

About this book

Author / Editor information

Topics

Table of contents

Front Matter

Contents

List of figures

Introduction

I Degeneracy—Backpedaling

Part I – Introduction

1 Atrophy in The Time Machine

2 Atavism in Heart of Darkness

II Disability—Cane and able

Part II – Introduction

3 Prosthesis in Our Mutual Friend

4 Posthuman in The Law and the Lady

III Decorum—Right ankles

Part III – Introduction

5 Form in Barchester Towers

6 Reform in Armadale

IV Desire—Calf worship

Part IV – Introduction

7 Muscle in Barnaby Rudge

8 Masculinity in King Solomon’s Mines

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index

Bibliographic data