Raw Material examines the Victorian era’s utilization of disease as a means to express deep-rooted concerns regarding England’s rapid industrialization and its relationship with the material world. Erin O’Connor delves into various disciplines such as medicine, literature, political economy, sociology, anthropology, and popular advertising to explore the “industrial logic of disease.” This concept highlights the interconnectedness of pathology and production in Victorian society’s perception of cultural processes and disease.

O’Connor’s analysis primarily focuses on the representation of four troubling physical conditions in literature. She begins by examining how Asiatic cholera, which experienced widespread outbreaks between 1832 and 1865, symbolized the perils of cultural contamination and dissolution. The subsequent chapters delve into the complexities surrounding breast cancer and amputation in relation to gender. O’Connor explores the belief that breast cancer was caused by the female body’s inability to tolerate urban life. She then shifts her attention to men’s bodies, exploring how advancements in prosthetic technology enabled dismembered soldiers and industrial workers to reconstruct themselves as productive members of society. The final chapter delves into the portrayal of gross deformities in freak shows as a representation of a new and improved individuality.

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