Realism in Pain: Literary and Social Constructions of Victorian Pain in the Age of Anaesthesia, 1846-1870
Journal: TUScholarShare (Temple University)
Year: 2013

In 1846 and 1847, ether and chloroform were used and celebrated for the first time in Britain and the United States as effective surgical anaesthetics capable of rendering individuals insensible to physical pain. During the same decade, British novels of realism were enjoying increasing cultural authority, dominating readers' attention, and evoking readers' sympathy for numerous social justice issues. This dissertation investigates a previously unanswered question in studies of literature and me