The Rise and Fall of the Femme Fatale in British Literature, 17901910

The Rise and Fall of the Femme Fatale in British Literature, 17901910 explores the femme fatales career in nineteenth-century British literature. It traces her evolutionand devolutionformally, historically, and ideologically through a selection of plays, poems, novels, and personal correspondence. Considering well-known fatal women alongside more obscure ones, The Rise and Fall of the Femme Fatale sheds new light on emerging notions of gender, sexuality, and power throughout the long nineteenth century. By placing the fatal woman in a still developing literary and cultural narrative, this study examines how the femme fatale adapts over time, reflecting popular tastes and socio-economic landscapes.