A new Brontë-related article:
by Aneeth Karunya Saj1 PhD Research Scholar Desh Bhagat University, Punjab
International Journal of English and Studies, Volume 7, Issue 6| June, 2025
This paper explores the intricate relationships between mental illness, gender, and institutional power in Victorian literature. Focusing on seminal novels such as Jane Eyre, The Woman in White, Lady Audley’s Secret, and Villette, this study examines how Victorian writers portrayed mental illness not merely as a medical or psychological condition but as a socio-cultural construct laden with ideological meaning. Through the analytical lenses of feminist theory, psychoanalysis, and Foucauldian discourse, the paper interrogates how narratives of madness were often gendered and weaponized to reinforce patriarchal control and social conformity. Special attention is given to the literary representation of women as particularly vulnerable to diagnoses of insanity, revealing how these depictions served broader cultural functions. Drawing from primary texts, historical psychiatric discourse, and contemporary scholarly critiques, this research contributes to the ongoing academic conversation on literature, mental health, and gender politics, while illuminating the enduring legacy of Victorian ideologies in shaping modern understandings of psychological deviance.
0 comments:
Post a Comment