Conceptualization, History, and Future of the Paraphilias

There is no accepted definition of the term paraphilia despite its being listed as an essential feature of a class of mental disorders known as the paraphilic disorders. The origin of the term, history of its inclusion as a diagnosis, and logical flaws inherent in the various definitions are discussed in this review. We examine the basis for pathologizing individuals with paraphilias, consider what paraphilias can tell us about how humans develop their sexual interests, and question the usefulness of dividing sexual interests into paraphilias and normophilias. The construct of the paraphilias appears to be poorly conceived and has outlived its usefulness.

Watching the Flame of Youth

Focusing on the “flaming youth” figure of the 1920s, this chapter explores the prevalence of discussions about child marriage in works by Wharton and Fabian, exploring forms of generation-specific authority and the peculiar age-specific qualities of the “child-woman” at the center of these plots. Scenes of youthful teen girls’ slumber, which frequently overlap with middle-aged men’s sexual interests, predict many of the aspects of these relationships that interest Wharton, whose fictions imagine child marriage, then increasingly problematize the age-asymmetrical relationships involved in such unions.