Embodying Essence: Corporeality, Dualism and Rhetorical Invention in the Autobiographies of Nineteenth-Century Female Spirit Mediums
Embodying Essence: Corporeality, Dualism and Rhetorical Invention in the Autobiographies of Nineteenth-Century Female Spirit Mediums

Summary/Abstract: A close reading of nineteenth-century female spirit mediums’ autobiographies reveals how these women gained access to the public sphere. Drawing on Elizabeth Grosz’s feminist reading of Descartes’ theory of dualism, this article analyzes differing implications of rhetorical strategies used in women’s spiritual memoirs. Furthermore, this study considers how the female autobiographer represents her own physicality. The personal narratives examined here suggest that a Victorian-era woman’s awareness of her own gendered body is central to contextualizing how feminine corporeality was constructed and the ways in which it continues to complicate issues of female empowerment.

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