Henry Mckenzie (1745–1831), the Man of Feeling: a Novel

Abstract

Henry McKenzie was a Scottish novelist and lawyer. His most famous work was the sentimental novel, The Man of Feeling , which followed the travels of the protagonist Harvey. On his journeys, Harvey met a broad range of people from different walks of life, notably including some poor and downfallen characters, who told him their life stories. Their tales were always sublime or tragic and Harvey – the man of feeling – was invariably moved, often weeping in sympathy. The novel was remarkably well-received when it was first published during the height of the culture of sensibility. It fell out of fashion in the nineteenth century, as this model of masculinity became viewed as unmanly and ridiculous. As a text that was very much of its historical moment, it provides important insights into how the portrayal and expression of emotion, and responses to such representations, change over time.