'Is there no work in hand?' : the idle son theme at mid-century

Sanders, Valerie R.

Abstract

This article presents work as the possible site of a generational conflict over the definition of masculinity between parents and children, focusing on the father and son dynamic. It tackles cases of idle sons, or educated young men who cannot establish themselves in any one career, in the middle classes around the middle of the 19th century. It discusses the changing attitudes to what forms masculine work in these classes. It gives emphasis to the case of widowed mother Margaret Oliphant who expressed mixed signals about the significance of work.

Citation

Sanders, V. R. (2010). 'Is there no work in hand?' : the idle son theme at mid-century. Studies in the Literary Imagination, 43(1), 49-67

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2010-03
• Deposit Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Journal: Studies in the Literary Imagination
• Print ISSN: 0039-3819
• Electronic ISSN: 0039-3891
• Publisher: Georgia State University, Department of English
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 43
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 49-67
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/464152
• Additional Information: Copy of article first published in Studies in the literary imagination, v.43, issue 1, 2010