Henry James and Masculinity: The Man at the Margins

In this study, Kelly Cannon looks at a neglected but essential dimension of James’ a fascination for “marginal” behavior, particularly among his male characters. James’ artistic struggle with questions of gender and sexuality can be traced to the puzzle of his own life, never to be answered definitively but beautifully rendered in the pages of his novels and short stories. By placing the fictional treatment of masculinity in a cultural context, Cannon invites connections with contemporary debates about gender.