A study using the txtLAB Novel450 corpus analyzes 150 British and American canonical novels published between 1771 and 1930 to examine changing models of masculine authority. The research employs coreference resolution and an unsupervised structural topic model to identify six distinct masculine formations across the long nineteenth century.
- The analysis identifies aristocratic-chivalric, Christian manhood, gentlemanly respectability, country squire, professional-commercial, and imperial/adventure formations.
- Formations tied to inherited rank and sacred authority decline, while those organized around paid work and adventure rise.
- The largest increase occurs in imperial/adventure masculinity, particularly the frontier-wilderness register.
- Adventurous and commercial formations are more prevalent in novels by authors recorded as male.
The article offers a reproducible method for measuring the reorganization of gendered authority, demonstrating how masculine ideals shifted from inherited status to achieved, commercial, and expansionary forms.