Patricia Pulham Knihy

By integrating psychoanalytic theory with socio-historical criticism, Patricia Pulham examines Vernon Lee's fantastic tales through the lens of D.W. Winnicott's 'transitional object' theory. She posits that the past in Lee's narratives represents both historical and psychic dimensions. The 'ghosts' in her supernatural fiction symbolize intricate meanings crucial to Lee's intellectual growth, enabling her to navigate alternative identities and express transgressive sexualities.

This book argues that, in Victorian literature, transgressive desires that cannot be openly acknowledged are often buried and encrypted in the marble bodies of statues.