Distorting mirrors: Visions of the crowd in late nineteenth-century France (Yale historical publications)

Susanna Barrows argues that French men of letters, threatened by the resurgence of strikes, riots, and demonstrations in the 1880s and 1890s, channeled much of their uneasiness into a purportedlly objective study of crowds. Contents Preface Introduction 1. The Crowd in the Late Nineteenth Century 2. Metaphors of Fear: Women and Alcoholics 3. Hippolyte Taine and the Spectre of the Commune 4. The Crowd and the Literary Imagination: Emile Zola’s Germinal 5. Social Scientists and the Crowd, 1878-1892 6. Polemics and Politics: The Question of Priority 7. Gustave Le Bon and the Popularity of an Idea Conclusion Selected Bibliography Index The Crowd In The Late Nineteenth Century -- Metaphors Of Fear: Women And Alcoholics -- Hippolyte Taine And The Spectre Of The Commune -- The Crowd And The Literary Imagination: Emile Zola's Germinal -- Social Scientists And The Crowd, 1878-1892 -- Polemics And Politics: The Question Of Priority -- Gustave Le Bon And The Popularity Of An Idea. Susanna Barrows. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. 199-213.