Description
Book SynopsisThis analysis of the writings of two major Victorian intellectuals examines the crucial place of gender in the larger Victorian debate about nature, religion, and evolutionary theory. Demonstrating the primacy of Herbert Spencer's influence on George Eliot's thought, Nancy Paxton discloses the continuous dialogue between this profoundly learned nov
Table of Contents*FrontMatter, pg. i*Contents, pg. vii*Acknowledgment, pg. ix*1. Introduction, pg. 1*2. Feminism, Evolutionism, and the Reconstruction of Gender, pg. 15*3. Beauty, Sexuality, and Evolutionary Process: Adam Bede and "Personal Beauty", pg. 43*4. Feminism and the Problem of Authority: The Mill on the Floss and "Physical Training", pg. 69*5. The Origins of Morality: Silas Marner and First Principles, pg. 95*6. Feminism, History, and Cultural Determinism: Romola and The Principles of Biology I, pg. 117*7. Women's Suffrage and Women's Suffering: Felix Holt and The Principles of Biology II, pg. 141*8. Theories of Origin and Knowledge: Middlemarch and The Study of Sociology, pg. 171*9. Civilization and Degeneration: Daniel Deronda and Spencer's Later Writing, pg. 198*Epilogue, pg. 228*Notes, pg. 233*Bibliography, pg. 261*Index, pg. 275
