Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Popular Depression: How Literature Is Affecting The Female Image, Samantha Bloodworth

Samantha Murillo

This paper contemplates traditional representations of females in literature throughout history for the purposes of examining the effects produced upon women by linking traditional representations to increased depression rates among teenage girls and women. Specifically, I will be asserting that the consistent and frequent portrayal of weak women is causing females to be more inclined to identify themselves as depressed. This paper will be focusing on the works of Shakespeare, Charlotte Bronte, and Stephanie Myers and discussing their respective female characters by examining the language and cultural practices that create Western concepts of femininity to demonstrate how these characters intensify …