Masochism

How does the male masochist provide a metaphor for modern and postmodern power? Present orthodoxy understands masculine power as invested in unity, identity, presence and technology. In this provocative work, however, Mansfield challenges our fundamental assumptions about masculine power in the postmodern era. Utilizing representations of masochism in literature, psychopathology, philosophy and cultural theory, the author argues that masculine power can now best be understood as masochistic.