Pure, Strong and Sexless: The Peasant Woman's Body and Gleb Uspensky (Studies in Slavic Literature and Poetics 43) (Studies in Slavic Literature & Poetics)

Pure, Strong and Sexless explores the representation of gender and sexuality of peasant women in turn of the century Russian culture through the writings of populist writer Gleb Uspensky. Uspensky's numerous works address a range of issues related to sexuality, including infanticide, abortion, prostitution, adultery and venereal disease. This is the first comprehensive study of populist's fantasies in regard to the peasant woman's body as a non-sexed utopian body within Russian fin-de-siecle sexual discourse. Included in this book is the first English translation of the diary of Uspensky's psychiatrist, Dr Boris Sinani. This frank account portrays the tragic decline of a sensitive observer and writer into the psychotic and delusionary world of schizophrenia. This work is an invaluable source for students of Russian literature, gender studies, and history of psychiatry Within the study of the representation of peasant gender in Russia there is a clear area of neglect: the portrayal of peasant women's bodies in the work of the narodniki, or populist, writers. Henrietta Mondry. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [273]-284) And Index.