Abstract
Convalescence, a liminal state between sickness and health, has been employed both figuratively and literally as a lens through which writers, philosophers, poets, and artists have grappled with existential fears and formulated visions of self, self in relation to others, and self in relation to the world. The convalescent mode emphasizes art as a healing device. This thesis surveys convalescence as an interpretive mode and artistic sensibility from its inception in the 19th-century Romantic period through its expansion in 20th-century Modernism. It then proposes reimagining the convalescent mode to meet 21st-century needs. To assess the viability of this model, the thesis will include a contemporary critique on issues of gender, race, and class, and an analysis of the potential harms of metaphorizing somatic processes. Finally, it offers a few brief examples of contemporary artists who utilize the convalescent mode in their work.