Out of His Mind

Masculinity and Mental Illness in Victorian Britain

Amy Milne-Smith

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English

Manchester University Press
28 May 2024

Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900; Social & cultural history; Gender studies: men; Care of the mentally ill

Series: Gender in History

Out of His Mind interrogates how Victorians made sense of the madman as both a social reality and a cultural representation. Even at the height of enthusiasm for the curative powers of nineteenth-century psychiatry, to be certified as a lunatic meant a loss of one’s freedom and in many ways one’s identity. Because men had the most power and authority in Victorian Britain, this also meant they had the most to lose. The madman was often a marginal figure, confined in private homes, hospitals, and asylums. Yet as a cultural phenomenon he loomed large, tapping into broader social anxieties about respectability, masculine self-control, and fears of degeneration. Using a wealth of case notes, press accounts, literature, medical and government reports, this text provides a rich window into public understandings and personal experiences of men’s insanity.

By: Amy Milne-Smith
Imprint: Manchester University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 138mm, Spine: 17mm
Weight: 382g
ISBN: 9781526178855
ISBN 10: 1526178850
Series: Gender in History
Pages: 328
Publication Date: 28 May 2024
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Amy Milne-Smith is Professor of History at Wilfrid Laurier University -- .

Reviews for Out of His Mind: Masculinity and Mental Illness in Victorian Britain

'An original contribution to our understanding of how gender, and especially masculinity, impacted the experience and representation of madness in Victorian Britain.' Katie Barclay, The American Historical Review 'Out of His Mind builds upon and strengthens work already done in the history of science to destabilise gendered notions of scientific and medical authority.' Heather Ellis, Women's History Review 'Amy Milne-Smith makes an important contribution to historical understandings of the multi-dimensional interactions between gender and mental health, encompassing the medical, social, attitudinal and cultural.' Leonard Smith, Cultural and Social History -- .