Confessional Subjects

More about the book

Examining the gendered power dynamics in Victorian confessional literature, Bernstein analyzes works by notable authors like Brontë and Hardy. She reveals how women's confessions to male figures often portray them as transgressors despite their victimization. By contextualizing these narratives within anti-Catholic literature, Bernstein critiques traditional theories of confession by Freud and Foucault. Her study combines cultural criticism, poststructuralism, and feminist theory, offering a fresh perspective on the implications of domestic confessions in the era's literature.