Spectres of Masculinity

Know about the book -

Spectres of Masculinity is written by Anna S. Berger and published by transcript Verlag. It's available with International Standard Book Number or ISBN identification 3839440564 (ISBN 10) and 9783839440568 (ISBN 13).

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.