How Long to Read Female Sexuality and Cultural Degradation in Enlightenment France

How Long Does it Take to Read Female Sexuality and Cultural Degradation in Enlightenment France?

It takes the average reader 3 hours and 57 minutes to read Female Sexuality and Cultural Degradation in Enlightenment France by Mary McAlpin

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

In her study of eighteenth-century literature and medical treatises, Mary McAlpin takes up the widespread belief among cultural philosophers of the French Enlightenment that society was gravely endangered by the effects of hyper-civilization. McAlpin's study explores a strong thread in this rhetoric of decline: the belief that premature puberty in young urban girls, supposedly brought on by their exposure to lascivious images, titillating novels, and lewd conversations, was the source of an increasing moral and physical degeneration. In how-to hygiene books intended for parents, the medical community declared that the only cure for this obviously involuntary departure from the "natural" path of sexual development was the increased surveillance of young girls. As these treatises by vitalist and vitalist-inspired physiologists became increasingly common in the 1760s, McAlpin shows, so, too, did the presence of young, vulnerable, and virginal heroines in the era's novels. Analyzing novels by, among others, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Denis Diderot, and Choderlos de Laclos, she offers physiologically based readings of many of the period's most famous heroines within the context of an eighteenth-century discourse on women and heterosexual desire that broke with earlier periods in recasting female and male desire as qualitatively distinct. Her study persuasively argues that the Western view of women's sexuality as a mysterious, nebulous force-Freud's "dark continent"-has its secular origins in the mid-eighteenth century.

How long is Female Sexuality and Cultural Degradation in Enlightenment France?

Female Sexuality and Cultural Degradation in Enlightenment France by Mary McAlpin is 229 pages long, and a total of 59,311 words.

This makes it 77% the length of the average book. It also has 72% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read Female Sexuality and Cultural Degradation in Enlightenment France Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 5 hours and 24 minutes to read Female Sexuality and Cultural Degradation in Enlightenment France aloud.

What Reading Level is Female Sexuality and Cultural Degradation in Enlightenment France?

Female Sexuality and Cultural Degradation in Enlightenment France is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy Female Sexuality and Cultural Degradation in Enlightenment France?

Female Sexuality and Cultural Degradation in Enlightenment France by Mary McAlpin is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

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