Hysteria: A Film of the Victorian Era's Sexuality

Kimberly Guthrie

Hysteria: A Film of  the Victorian Era's Sexuality

         

        Taking place in the Victorian Era, the film Hysteria gives light on the invention of the vibrator, while also providing viewers with in-depth analysis of sexuality during that time. During the late 19^th century in England, Dr. Mortimer Granville finds a job helping out females who are suffering with the disorder, Hysteria, however he soon struggles with work thus leading up to his invention of the vibrator, while also finding love throughout his journey ^[1].

            Dr. Granville’s work of relieving hysteria, leads him to having a high female clientele due to the fact that over half the women in town suffered with its symptoms. Hysteria was a common disorder for about 3/4th of Victorian women, as its symptoms ranged from anxiety, erotic fantasies, irritability, and nervousness ^[2]. It dates back to the BC era, where it was cured with sex or herbs, thus later Sigmund Freud accounted the mental disorder to only be applied to women. ^[3] Nonetheless as women went to doctors to cure their sickness, the procedure was done by a manual stimulation, which often caused doctors like Granville to experience much hand fatigue. The procedure would lead up to a women having an orgasm, however because doctors at the time did not believe that women had sexual sensations, they called it a paroxysm ^[2]. Rather than try to find a medical cure for the disorder, doctors wanted to treat their chronic hand fatigue hence the vibrator was invented in 1869 by Dr. George Taylor ^[2]. The American physician patented what he called the Manipulator, which was a large motorized table attached with a hole and a ball in the center ^[3]. Hysteria the invention of the electromechanical vibrator by the main character Mortimer Granville is more focused upon ^[1].  With the invention of the vibrator it gave

women more control over their sexual feelings, and as the invention continued to improve through technology its popularity also led to the increasing of openness within sexuality and in the sex industry due to its heightened publicity.
However, in

             The film also informed the audience of the gender roles in the Victorian Era reflected by its numerous characters. Emily Dalrymple was the ideal women of that era with her obedient and soft-spoken persona. She was compliant to her father’s requests to marry Granville, despite not knowing him, and it was later revealed in the movie how she wished to follow her own beliefs rather than her father’s ^[1]. The 19^th century’s gender roles were based on sexual spheres, hence Emily’s character represented how women ^[4]. In contrary, Charlotte Dalrympe was a feminist that reflected the “New Woman” phenomenon. The New Woman was a feminist ideology by Henrik Ibsen, in which women express their need for equality and took place in the suffragette movement ^[5]. Throughout the film, Charlotte expressed her feministic views, and was often looked down upon at societal functions, like Emily’s engagement party. The 19^th century was also known for its sexual commerce of prostitution, which rapidly grew in towns ^[6]. Although the film did not speak much about prostitution, it was revealed in the court case that the character Molly was formerly a prostitute and the opinions of prostitutes were shown in the other characters’ judgmental perception of her^[1].

were placed into a private sphere while her father was a prime of example of how men were in the public sphere

            With the gender roles being separated into the private and public spheres, it led to companionate marriages ^[4]. The companionate marriage focused upon the separate spheres, while also marriages at that time were centered less on finances, although it remained significant, but more on love and affection ^[7]. The changes in courtship were reflected in the movie by the relationship between Granville and Dalrymple sisters. While Dr. Dalrymple chose Granville to marry Emily, it was only for his finances and power as a physician.

However, Granville ultimately decided to marry Charlotte, in which the two shared a private affair that was popular at the time, and had a relationship more so based on love and affection.

            By watching the film Hysteria, the audience was able to understand the history of sexuality that occurred during the Victorian era. While the disorder hysteria had a wide range of symptoms, it was quite evident of the misdiagnosis that was taking place. In the scene where Charlotte reacted to the arrest of her friend, Fannie, her resistance made the judge believe that she was suffering from hysteria ^[1]. Nonetheless, doctors of the 19^th century lacked knowledge on women’s physiology in general. As Charlotte argued with Granville that sex was a natural part for women too, he found it unbelievable because of the double standard that took place stating that only men could be sexually open^[7]. The Victorian Age was a prominent part of the history of sexuality because with the invention of the vibrator more research was given forth to the sexual pleasures of women, while it also gave more attention to the sexual needs of individuals thus sparking sexual libertinism.

[1] Hysteria. Theater viewing. Directed by Robert Webber. Burbank, CA: distributed by Warner Home Video, 2011.

[2] Castleman, Michael. "All About Sex." "Hysteria" and the Strange History of Vibrators. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/201303/hysteria-and-the-strange-history-vibrators (accessed April 28, 2014).

[3] Laden, Tanja. "Fucking Hysterical: A Timeline of Vintage Vibrators ." VICE. http://www.vice.com/en_au/read/fucking-hysterical-a-timeline-of-vintage-vibrators (accessed April 29, 2014).

[4] Moore, Crystal . "The Transition from Colonial to Victorian Sexuality." Lecture, Class, Charlotte, February 4, 2014.

[5] Moore, Crystal . "Civilized Morality Under Stress Leads to Crusades for Sexual Order 1880-1930." Lecture, Class, Charlotte, April 3, 2014.

[6] Moore, Crystal . "Sexual Commerce in Victorian America." Lecture, Class, Charlotte, February 18, 2014.

[7] Moore, Crystal . "Sexuality Within the Victorian Family." Lecture, Class, Charlotte, February 11, 2014.