"We all take our turn": invalidism in American culture, 1850-1910
Date
2003
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Invalidism was an ever-present feature of life in nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century America. It could be caused by injury, illness, or idleness; it could be acute or severe; its duration could be long or short; it affected men and women, young and old, rich and poor. Much scholarship exists on the biological, social, and cultural causes of female invalidism in the nineteenth century; however, little attention has been given to the cultural condition of ill health at this time. ☐ This study attempts to fill in this gap by examining invalidism from a broad perspective to determine how invalids were perceived and perceived themselves, how they constructed identity, the cultural myths surrounding invalidism, and how invalidism affected the sufferer's physical and social surroundings in the period between 1850 and 1910. I have relied upon letters, almanacs, popular medical guides, domestic advice manuals, newspapers, magazines, photographs, catalogues, autobiographies, and objects from this time period to answer these questions. ☐ The first chapter introduces the issue of invalidism in nineteenth-century America, highlighting key scholarship and focusing on three major aspects of the condition: women as biological and cultural invalids, neurasthenia, and everyday injuries and afflictions. The second chapter examines images of invalids from various sources to reveal cultural assumptions regarding invalidism and the nature of identity as defined and reshaped by invalidism. The third chapter investigates the accouterments, relationships, and behaviors associated with the sickroom to determine how the presence of an invalid affected the physical space as well as the emotional and social ties within the home. Finally, the fourth chapter examines the implications certain items of furniture, designed specifically for invalid use, had regarding individual attitude and taste, the way invalids came to terms with their condition, and they way they were perceived by society. ☐ This study will show that invalidism was a complex, multivalent state which everyone could expect to encounter in one form or another between 1850 and 1910. As a condition, invalidism affected social relationships, the construction of identity, societal perceptions, the physical environment, and the material culture of the afflicted.