Shatto, Jessica From Surface to Psyche: Psychological Realism in Victorian Fiction. Thesis. Radford University Scholars' Repository.
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Abstract
The study of Victorian literature has been supported by substantial scholarly work, including, but not limited to, the feminist approach presented by Gilbert and Gubar. This thesis combines the influence of nineteenth-century psychology in Victorian novels with contemporary scholarship to further conversations of women and gender studies. Further, it explores how psychological realism, the primary literary approach of the period, was used to challenge societal expectations of the nineteenth century. The thesis argues that Thomas Hardy and Sarah Grand create psychologically real characters to advocate for the unconventional Victorian woman, rather than to condemn her. The main theoretical framework comes from nineteenth-century psychological texts, which serve as a lens through which to read Hardy’s The Return of the Native and Grand’s The Heavenly Twins. The four primary theories that support the thesis are James Crichton-Browne’s “On Dreamy Mental States,” Jean É Esquirol’s “Monomania,” John Abercrombie’s “Philosophical, Local, and Arbitrary Association,” and William James’s “Habit.” The inclusion of these psychological theories is not meant to diagnose or compartmentalize female characters, as is often the case with contemporary psychoanalytical approaches. Rather, the thesis argues that Hardy and Grand adapted familiar concepts of their time to challenge gender expectations in the nineteenth century. The project pairs Crichton-Browne’s concepts of dreamy mental states and Esquirol’s definitions of monomania to Hardy’s novel, particularly to the character of Eustacia Vye. On the surface, she appears as a self-centered and mischievous character; however, when paired alongside ideas of dreamy mental states and monomania, it becomes apparent that Eustacia’s motives are a result of coping with the entrapments of a patriarchal society. Additionally, the project contextualizes Sarah Grand’s use of habit and association, as recognized by nineteenth-century physicians such as Abercrombie and James, to understand how reoccurring images in the text provide Grand an outlet to challenge a male-dominated society and to express the confines of gender by anticipating concepts of performativity.
| Item Type: | Thesis |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) |
| Divisions: | Radford University > College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences > School of Writing, Language, and Literature |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Jun 2025 20:18 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Jun 2025 20:18 |
| URI: | http://wagner.radford.edu/id/eprint/1172 |
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