Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
“Frailty, Thy Name Is Woman”: Depictions Of Female Madness, Julianna Little
“Frailty, Thy Name Is Woman”: Depictions Of Female Madness, Julianna Little
Theses and Dissertations
Concepts of mental health and normality cannot be understood apart from cultural norms and values. The most significant of cultural constructions that shape our view of madness is gender. Madness has been perceived for centuries metaphorically and symbolically as a feminine illness and continues to be gendered into the twenty-first century. Works of art and literature and psychiatric medicine influence each other as well as our understanding and perception of mental illness. Throughout history, images of mental illness in women send the message that women are weak, dangerous, and require containment. What are the cultural links between femininity and insanity, …