Abstract
This essay examines how Henry Cockton uses sleepwalking as a theme in Sylvester Sound the Somnambulist to explore empiricist ideas and their impact on early Victorian institutions and social structures. It analyzes Sylvester's use of the scientific method to diagnose his somnambulism, commenting on confirmation bias which results in imperfect knowledge. Through an examination of conflicting witness testimonies, this essay discusses the internal conflict of Sylvester's double consciousness as a sleepwalker, which limits his capacity for self surveillance. In addition, it analyzes how the judicial system uses empiricism to dismiss Sylvester's disorder and ultimately fails to achieve objectivity. Finally, this essay considers how working and middle class characters are empowered by sensory knowledge to resist traditional power structures, yet fail to attain class consciousness. Through somnambulism, the novel challenges notions about sanity and questions human capacity for reliable observation and self surveillance. It ultimately advocates for a skeptical approach to sensory knowledge that considers the context of evidence and accepts the validity of other epistemologies when observation does not produce full knowledge.