Spectres of Masculinity

Anna S. Berger

ISBN 10: 383767956X / ISBN 13: 9783837679564

Published by Transcript Verlag, DE, 2026

About this Item

Why are so many ghost stories narrated by men - and what do these tales reveal about ideas of masculinity? Anna S. Berger explores how Victorian and Edwardian supernatural fiction reflects anxieties around imperial decline, compulsive heterosexuality, domestic instability, and shifting gender roles. From haunted houses to colonial outposts, male protagonists face spectral challenges to the imperial masculine ideal, paternal authority, and male rational control. By drawing on works by authors like Rudyard Kipling, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Arthur Conan Doyle, this study reveals the ghost story as a site where normative masculinity falters - and alternative visions of male identity emerge.

Seller Inventory # LU-9783837679564

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Spectres of Masculinity
• Publisher: Transcript Verlag, DE
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 383767956X
• ISBN 13: 9783837679564
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Why are so many ghost stories narrated by men – and what do these tales reveal about ideas of masculinity? Anna S. Berger explores how Victorian and Edwardian supernatural fiction reflects anxieties around imperial decline, compulsive heterosexuality, domestic instability, and shifting gender roles. From haunted houses to colonial outposts, male protagonists face spectral challenges to the imperial masculine ideal, paternal authority, and male rational control. By drawing on works by authors like Rudyard Kipling, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Arthur Conan Doyle, this study reveals the ghost story as a site where normative masculinity falters – and alternative visions of male identity emerge.

About the Author

Anna S. Berger is a literary scholar and journalist. She works as a postdoctoral researcher in English didactics at Universität Augsburg and as a journalist for the Schwäbische Zeitung. Previously, she was involved in journalism education at Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal. Her research focuses on Victorian literature – particularly Gothic literature –, comics and graphic novels, as well as critical media education.