Introduction
AbstractThis introductory chapter sets out the book’s argument that nineteenth-century prosthesis narratives, though presented in a predominantly ableist and sometimes disablist manner, challenge the dominance of physical completeness as they question the logic of prostheticization or present non-normative subjects in threateningly powerful ways. The chapter positions this argument in relation to various scholarly fields, including disability studies, Victorian studies, the history of science and technology, and literature and science. It addresses several methodological questions, including those pertaining to the prosthetic devices, historical period, and specific sources selected for investigation. In responding to these questions, the chapter provides potted histories of the technological developments of nineteenth-century artificial limbs, eyes, teeth, and hair. It also explains the author’s decision to use terms such as wholeness and incompleteness.