‘For God’s Sake Look at This!’: Physiognomy in Bleak House

This essay hopes to add to the impressive array of criticism and scholarship about the ’science’ of physiognomy, derived from Lavater, in Dickens, focussing chiefly on its role in Bleak House. I survey the successful observers of physiognomy in the novel, such as Esther and Woodcourt, and what they...

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Main Author: Michael Hollington
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Presses Universitaires de la Méditerranée 2019-12-01
Series:Cahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/cve/6255
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author Michael Hollington
author_facet Michael Hollington
author_sort Michael Hollington
collection DOAJ
description This essay hopes to add to the impressive array of criticism and scholarship about the ’science’ of physiognomy, derived from Lavater, in Dickens, focussing chiefly on its role in Bleak House. I survey the successful observers of physiognomy in the novel, such as Esther and Woodcourt, and what they observe—not just faces but ’manner’ or ’body language.’ I also explore the physiognomy of things, as this builds into a formidable indictment of the face of Victorian society.
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institution Kabale University
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publisher Presses Universitaires de la Méditerranée
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series Cahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens
spelling doaj-art-b84fba1267414fd5babc9f41de58b0182025-01-30T10:22:25ZengPresses Universitaires de la MéditerranéeCahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens0220-56102271-61492019-12-019010.4000/cve.6255‘For God’s Sake Look at This!’: Physiognomy in Bleak HouseMichael HollingtonThis essay hopes to add to the impressive array of criticism and scholarship about the ’science’ of physiognomy, derived from Lavater, in Dickens, focussing chiefly on its role in Bleak House. I survey the successful observers of physiognomy in the novel, such as Esther and Woodcourt, and what they observe—not just faces but ’manner’ or ’body language.’ I also explore the physiognomy of things, as this builds into a formidable indictment of the face of Victorian society.https://journals.openedition.org/cve/6255Dickens (Charles)physiognomyLavater (Johann Kaspar)body LanguageBleak House
spellingShingle Michael Hollington
‘For God’s Sake Look at This!’: Physiognomy in Bleak House
Cahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens
Dickens (Charles)
physiognomy
Lavater (Johann Kaspar)
body Language
Bleak House
title ‘For God’s Sake Look at This!’: Physiognomy in Bleak House
title_full ‘For God’s Sake Look at This!’: Physiognomy in Bleak House
title_fullStr ‘For God’s Sake Look at This!’: Physiognomy in Bleak House
title_full_unstemmed ‘For God’s Sake Look at This!’: Physiognomy in Bleak House
title_short ‘For God’s Sake Look at This!’: Physiognomy in Bleak House
title_sort for god s sake look at this physiognomy in bleak house
topic Dickens (Charles)
physiognomy
Lavater (Johann Kaspar)
body Language
Bleak House
url https://journals.openedition.org/cve/6255
work_keys_str_mv AT michaelhollington forgodssakelookatthisphysiognomyinbleakhouse