The Language of Disease

More about the book

Focusing on the representation of syphilis in nineteenth-century France, the study examines how literature reflects the societal anxieties surrounding the disease. By integrating medical humanities with literary analysis, it explores how both renowned and lesser-known authors articulated the experience of the diseased body. The work draws from various fields, including gender studies and theology, to reveal the insights literature offers into the nature of illness and its impact on public morality and individual experience during this tumultuous period.