ABSTRACT

During the fin-de-siecle, stories about hysterical women filled the air of Paris and the novels emerging during this era conveyed this hysteria and openly portrayed the symptoms of the women being treated at the Salpetiere. This book examines the emergence of hysterical discourse and its influence on women's writing, specifically focusing on the presentation of female sexuality in three different narratives.

part I|21 pages

Historical Background

chapter One|5 pages

Widowhood and nineteenth-century culture

chapter Two|5 pages

Rachilde, widowhood, and the fin-de-siècle

part II|34 pages

Monsieur Vénus

chapter Five|9 pages

Monstrous sexualities

chapter Six|10 pages

The eroticism of death

part III|51 pages

La Marquise De Sade

chapter Seven|6 pages

The birth of a female sadomasochist

chapter Eight|10 pages

The foundations of masochism

chapter Nine|10 pages

The dawn of sadism

chapter Ten|13 pages

Marriage: autonomy or imprisonment?

chapter Eleven|9 pages

Widowhood: self-imposed or inescapable fate?

part IV|40 pages

La Jongleuse

chapter |6 pages

Conclusion