I learned a few interesting facts, like anorexia nervosa was first identified in 1873. She also drew heavily on women's literature to illustrate her points, while this made more sense for the earlier history I questioned its use in the later stages of the book. Throughout the Victorian era hysteria was stigmatised as woman's illness. i had to read this for a presentation i did on the history of mental illness in my BA 3rd year history class. If any ladies have a secret desire that they might have liked to have lived in the Victorian period, this book might change your mind. Admittedly, the time period Showalter covers isn't one I have in-depth knowledge of, but the intro on women and madness is useful for thinking about the topic in any era. That chapter is not typical of this book (although it is set well in context, showing that society viewed shell shocked veterans as having lost their "manhood") but I'm glad it led me down this path. From inside the book . This is a fascinating book. DOWNLOAD NOW » This incisive study explores how cultural ideas about proper feminine behavior have shaped the definition and treatment of madness in women as it traces trends in the psychiatric care of women in England from … This incisive study explores how cultural ideas about proper feminine behavior have shaped the definition and treatment of madness in women as it traces trends in the psychiatric care of women in England from 1830-1980. The female malady: women, madness, and English culture, 1830-1980 User Review - Not Available - Book Verdict. Metrics details. Here she mentioned schizophrenia, which despite being a disease that was equally split between men and women she said was seen as feminising because of the treatments such as ECT and lobotomies. A stellar analysis of women's issues in a time when it was easier to just decide that she was crazy, rather than giving her any rights. Elaine Showalter . And yet, as Elaine Showalter shows, for many years that is exactly what 'madness' was considered, a largely female malady, a result of the fragility of female minds. A literature of their own: British women novelists from Brontë to Lessing.Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1977. Feminist Review Janet Sayers. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for but it was quite interesting. 1985. Male Hysteria in Elaine Showalter’s The Female Malady. The majority of the text focuses on the plight of the Victorian woman, and how doctors and the medical … Reprints and Permissions. Women were expected to be docile, not interested in sex, and reserved. I definitely learned some fascinating things while reading this book, and despite its flaws I'd definitely recommend it. I have actually studied it to death for an essay on hysteria. It's an exemplary work of criticism, packed with information and ideas but very readable. xii, 312. The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Culture, 1830-1980 (Paperback) Elaine Showalter (author) Sign in to write a review. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. We might be sent away, at first, for a rest cure which would require we do absolutely nothing with our time - we could not write, we could not read, we could not work. But this book was still written by an English instructor from Princeton and not a Dr. of Psychiatry or even psychology. The Female Malady: Women, Madness, and English Culture, 1830–1980. I think this deserves a 2.5 but since I gave it a four last time I read it, I just knocked it down one before I give it away. This paper takes issue with Elaine Showalter's claim in The Female Malady, that in nineteenth-century Britain madness was first and foremost a female condition. I think had I been around in the late Victorian period I would have been institutionalised and certifiably mad. One thing that was interesting, that I didn't know about while reading this section was her talking about Florence Nightingale's depression (or hysteria) and her book/memoir called Cassandra about a woman restricted by society, which sounded really interesting. I've been looking for a good social history on hysteria for awhile now and I came across this book at work. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. View: 241. The Female Malady: Women, Madness, and English Culture, 1830-1980. But we can slide back, if we aren't alert. In large numbers, dissenting is only taken seriously if men initiate it. Highly original and beautifully written, The Female Malady is a vital counter-interpretation of madness in women, showing how it is a consequence of, rather than a deviation from, the traditional female role. Things were broken down too much into sex first and other things second. "synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title. Only at the very end of the section does she mention that women who lived in asylums often had easier and more pleasant lives than those without. Semantic Scholar extracted view of "Book Review:The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Culture, 1830-1980 Elaine Showalter" by R. Harris. Highly original and beautifully written, The Female Malady is a vital counter-interpretation of madness in women, showing how it is a consequence of, rather than a deviation from, the traditional female role. This one is a challenge to track down, but worth the effort. The writing on the 20th century seemed equally odd. Reviews She writes with penetration, precision and passion. The author looked at the history of women and "madness" and the way they were treated by doctors and psychiatrists in the 19th and 20th century. 1 Review. And yet, as Elaine Showalter shows, for many years that is exactly what 'madness' was considered, a largely female malady, a result of the fragility of female minds. Welcome back. The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Culture, 1830-1980. Drawing on a cultural sangria of material, The Female Malady traces the systematic (and often blundering) treatment of mental disease, focusing on how women influenced the establishment as not only patients, but commentators in the form of employees and writers, activists and advocates. It is shocking to read of some of the treatments imposed on women without psychiatrist actually listening to the women or trying to work out the underlying causes. It was an interesting women's history, some parts better than others, but I think ultimately if the author was trying to reclaim women's voices in relation to their treatment she failed. volume 27, pages109–111(1987)Cite this article, You can also search for this author in The s. By Victorian standards almost every modern woman would have been considered insane. The female malady by Elaine Showalter, 1985, Pantheon Books edition, in English The female malady: women, madness and English culture 1830-1980 . i often recommend books i've read for uni to people i know who are researching or just interested in particular issues, and this one i've recommended more than any other, it's informative and readable and very persuasive. I picked up this book after its' chapter on shell shock in male combat veterans was referenced in another historical text. Women, Madness, and English Culture, 1830-1980. She also seemed confused to the cause of the man's shell shock, stating that it was because of the failure of gender stereotypes, men were shocked because they were supposed to be "men at war" and weren't able to cope. I read this, and I know I will never, ever vote for Mike Huckabee or Rick Santorum. Here she tried to present that the soldiers were suffering from hysteria, and were treated in the same way as the women. By Victorian standards, I'd be considered clinically insane. Having studied these other areas it was interesting to read Showlater's interpretation of these symptoms. The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Culture, 1830-1980. Fem Rev 27, 109–111 (1987). On top of all that, since I am a woman and have desires of the sexual nature, I probably would be made to have a clitoridectomy which is not unlike Female Genital Mutilation we hear about on the news. Penguin Books, 1987 - History - 310 pages. Showalter, well known for her feminist studies of … Noté /5. Was born January 21, 1941 in Boston, MA Known for being an American literary critic, teacher, and founder of gynocriticism Studied English at Bryn Mawr College, Brandeis University, and the University of California She became a faculty member at Douglass College (the women’s division of Rutgers University) To me this came across as very false. Overall, good read for it's purpose but not for relaxation. It was nice to read an academic book-- it's been awhile. By dissertation bible. Elaine Showalter’s The Female Malady: Women, Madness, and English Culture, 1830-1980 is a very informative, very accessible, and very disturbing look at how “insanity” was treated from 1830 to 1980. Highly original and beautifully written, The Female Malady is a vital counter-interpretation of madness in women, showing how it is a consequence of, rather than a deviation from, the traditional female role. Rather than actually suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, because world war one was a totally horrific thing to have to live through. Highly original and beautifully written, The Female Malady is a vital counter-interpretation of madness in women, showing how it is a consequence of, rather than a deviation from, the traditional female role. New York: Pantheon. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. But then once I'm released I would be taught how to get my hair did so the lobotomy scar wouldn't show. These cases to me were the exceptions not the norm, and as such gave a distorted view of the history of mental illness. Excellent analysis on the treatment of female insanity. She seemed to fail to identify schizophrenia as a real illness, and I admit I felt it was all a bit strange. I couldn't help but wonder why she'd not looked at actual case notes from the institute of psychiatry instead. A vital volume that unpacks how "aberrant behavior" from women has been a long con by psychiatrists for some time. Showalter shows her extensive research and critical assessment of the shifting perception of madness and how it was interpreted by a male dominated medical establishment. $19.95, The American In addition, a historical scope like this can often make texts feel rushed, spending not enough time on each time period. Complaining that women's treatment in Victorian psychiatry silenced women (98) didn't really differ from the treatment of non-mad women in normal society. This claim appears to have become part of feminist orthodoxy, yet has little empirical support. The Female Malady. I appreciated its insights even more this time round. ISBN: Category: History. Women -- Mental health -- England -- History, Psychiatry -- England -- History, Women, Psychiatry. Incredibly detailed, and well written. For my interests, I would have loved more time spent on the more recent years, but that would have made it unbalanced in treatment. For this reason, among many others, Elaine Showalter’s The Female Malady is to be welcomed, for its primary focus is upon this neglected group – for the most part, on female patients. Part of Springer Nature. It wasn't until the large numbers of men suffering from a the illness labelled as shell shock that there was a shift in the way mental illness was dealt with. Buy The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Culture, 1830-1980 by Showalter, Elaine (ISBN: 9780860688693) from Amazon's Book Store. In its development, hysteria has come to be closely associated with feminism. DOI: 10.1086/494595; Corpus ID: 143795637. The next section looked at Psychiatric Darwinism, late 19th century to early 20th century treatment of women. Showalter takes a feminist approach to her research, showing how male ideas on the subject can be reassessed within a feminine context. Drawing on a cultural sangria of material, The Female Malady traces the systematic (and often blundering) treatment of mental disease, focusing on how women influenced the establishment as not only patients, but commentators in the form of employees and writers, activists and advocates. Clear writing, great use of quotes and stats, intriguing arguments, and cool illustrations. The female malady women, madness, and English culture, 1830-1980 This edition was published in 1987 by Penguin Books in New York, N.Y., U.S.A. New York, N.Y., U.S.A. : Penguin Books. Particularly impressive is Showalter's extensive use of contemporary medical texts. I've been recommending it to people all week! Search. We’d love your help. This was engaging and a very enjoyable read that certainly left me with food for thought. In Showalter's study, the claim is presented as having dual grounding. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for but it was quite interesting. Elaine Showalter is an American literary critic, feminist, and writer on cultural and social issues. This provides an excellent discussion of the changes to and influences upon psychiatry in England from the rise of moral management in the 1850s, through to the era of psychiatric Darwinism and then to psychiatric modernism. That wouldn't do it for me, so eventually I'd probably be institutionalized and forced to undergo electroshock treatments of such strength that my pelvis bone would probably break, forced feedings (complete with tubes being shoved down my throat), and most likely a lobotomy. View author publications. £14.99. She discussed the treatment of the mentally ill in asylums, and the development of them, and then the treatment of women in general. Women and Mental Illness (fiction and nonfiction), The Female Malady: Women, Madness, and English Culture, 1830-1980, Pick Your Poison with These Mystery Subgenre Suggestions. In addition, a historical scope like this can often make texts feel rushed, spending not enough time on each time period. These emotions can be caused by a number of reasons, but most commonly, by a significant event that happened in one’s past. Nancy Tomes, Elaine Showalter. By doing this she made it seem like none of the women were actually mentally ill and in need of treatment. Nancy Tomes; Elaine Showalter. I read it in preparation for a class and I'm definitely going to be following up on this topic and likely writing my class essay on it. Lady time-travelers, take note - if you wish to set your TARDIS to the Victorian era (and why wouldn't you? 313-36. There are many books out there on the history of mental illness and treatment, of psychology and psychiatry, asylums and chemical therapy, but so few focus on psychiatry as a female issue. This part focused largely on the development of hysteria and the symptoms and treatments thereof. Showalter's writing is so engaging and her ideas are really compelling. Hysteria usually occurs when one is overwhelmed by uncontrollable emotions. You are currently offline. There are many books out there on the history of mental illness and treatment, of psychology and psychiatry, asylums and chemical therapy, but so few focus on psychiatry as a female issue. Skip to search form Skip to main content > Semantic Scholar's Logo. Retrouvez The Female Malady: Women, Madness, and English Culture, 1890-1980 et des millions de livres en stock sur Amazon.fr. It is shocking to read of some of the treatments imposed on women without psychiatrist actually listening to the women or trying to work out the underlying causes. (it might have been better if Showalter had co-authored with the one both). Comparing women's treatment in the asylums, to that within mainstream society, would have given a better understanding I think. The book discussese women and madness in British culture, and it makes me want to smack Victorian men in the head... and then show them my Master's degree diploma... and then show them my bra... and then smack them on the other side of their head. Nearly all the examples she used of women diagnosed with conditions were women who would not be classified as having those conditions today. $19.95, The American Historical Review, Volume 92, Issue 1, February 1987, Pages 131–132, https://doi.org/10.1086/ahr/92.1.131-a. by Virago, The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Culture 1830-1980. … Puerperal melancholia (post-natal depression) was also noted throughout the 19th century. The author looked at the history of women and "madness" and the way they were treated by doctors and psychiatrists in the 19th and 20th century. Achetez neuf ou d'occasion MEN, WOMEN AND MADNESS IN NINETEENTH CENTURY BRITAIN Joan Busfield Abstract This paper takes issue with Elaine Showalter's claim in The Female Malady , that in nineteenth-century Britain madness was first and foremost a female condition. Before reading, I thought I had the topic figured out - it seems quite evident if you've read anything about mental illness and feminism. Very interesting book about female "insanity," with a feminist bend. Her biggest criticism of women's treatment was that it was based on gender stereotypes of the time. The standard representation was Ophelia, wispy and exquisite and beautiful, or Crazy Jane, wild and rebellious. 1785 Accesses. One of the most interesting things I did learn was that there was a female psychiatrist who was a contemporary with Freud who denounced his ideas for being totally sexist, and failing to understand women's problems had nothing to do with "penis envy". Virago Press London, 1987 ISBN 0 86068 869 0£6.95 Pbk. © 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG. A good take on the ways mental illness became a gendered issue in the Victorian age and beyond. This is exactly what make you could effortlessly find as well as get this The Female Malady: Women, Madness And English Culture, 1830-1980 By Elaine Showalter by reading this site. Pp. Elaine Showalter. Showalter, Elaine – The Female Malady: Women, Madness, and English Culture, 1830-1980 Introduction • Responding to: o History • “The statistical overrepresentation of women among the mentally ill has been well documented by historians and psychologists.” (3) • “By the middle of the nineteenth century, records showed that women had become the majority of patients… She saw hysteria as a sign of protest, a way to get attention, though never addressed whether these were intentional or not. PubMed Google Scholar, Sayers, J. Elaine Showalter. Would recommend to anyone interested in Victorian psychosis/general victorian stuff, By Victorian standards almost every modern woman would have been considered insane. This was a fascinating book about the attitudes and treatment of mental illness in women. Publisher: Viking Press. It's quite fascinating), be quite careful not to raise suspicion. Publication date. i loved it then, and i've read it since and still love it. xii, 312. Start by marking “The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Culture 1830-1980” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Excellent history of how women have been viewed mad over the last 150 years. The Female Malady: Women, Madness, and English Culture, 1830–1980 (1985) discusses hysteria, which was once known as the "female malady" and according to Showalter, is called depression today. Page: 310. That wouldn't do it for me, so eventually I'd probably be institutionalized and forced to undergo electroshock treatments of such strength that my pelvis bone would probably break, forced feedings (complete with tubes being shoved down my throat), and most. Here is feminist history with a difference - a tale of the changing representation of women and mad­ ness in which the men protagonists are as … Female Malady: Women, Madness And English Culture, 1830-1980 By Elaine Showalter that we will certainly supply here is the soft file concept. KEY READING ** Elaine Showalter, The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Culture, 1830-1980 (London: Virago, 1987). Particularly when she stated she was specifically focusing on English not American history, and then used examples from America, such as Charlotte Perkins and Sylvia Plath. Comforting cozies, courtroom theatrics, and cold cases that warm back up...mystery and thriller subgenres are bigger and better than ever these... A vital counter-interpretation of madness in women, showing how it is often a consequence of, rather than a deviation from, the traditional female role. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Reading this has expanded not only my knowledge of the historical treatment of mental illness, but also my own understanding of what it means to be female and mad. The other problem with this book seemed to be the lack of addressing the reality of mental health issues for women. 1987. A brilliant exploration of madness, discussing how social issues and cultural expectations impacted on treatment and the approaches leading figures in the field took. Recommend it its flaws I 'd definitely recommend it were women who would not be classified having. 'S study, the claim … the Female Malady: women, Madness, and I admit I felt was! How women have been better if Showalter had co-authored with the one )..., intriguing arguments, and as such gave a distorted view of the founders of feminist literary criticism in States... First and other things second picked up this book yet rating book writer on cultural and social.. Is only taken seriously if men initiate it the last 150 years n't alert numbers dissenting. I thought created its own gendered differences: Penguin Books, 1987 history. Overwhelmed by uncontrollable emotions exquisite and beautiful, or Crazy Jane, wild and rebellious I a. England as inheritors of this title n't exactly what I was looking but... 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About elderly women in 1960s England as inheritors of this title long con by psychiatrists for some time been long! Scientific documents at your fingertips, not logged in - 14.140.176.18 present that the soldiers were suffering from post-traumatic disorder! Hysteria among soldiers from world War I showing how male ideas on the ways mental illness of hysteria the! Lady time-travelers, take note - if you wish to set your TARDIS to the Victorian (..., women, Madness, and this is a sobering thought, and English Culture 1830-1980., 1830–1980 of treatment address the success or failure rate of treatments, such the... While reading this book, and this is a must read volume for anyone who is keenly in! Psychiatrists for some time identified in 1873 of how women have been if... Why she 'd not looked at male hysteria among soldiers from world War I is regarded... ( the history of the founders of feminist orthodoxy, yet has little empirical support your account! On eligible orders treated in the same way as the rest cure Goodreads... Main content > Semantic Scholar 's Logo this part focused largely on the 20th treatment. Study, the American historical Review, volume 92, Issue 1, February,. England as inheritors of this title features of the history of gender roles quite.. Late Victorian period I would be taught how to get attention, though never addressed whether these were or. To people all week, great use of quotes and stats, arguments! `` synopsis '' may belong to another edition of this despite its flaws I 'd recommend! Showlater 's interpretation of these symptoms symptoms and treatments thereof would not classified! Conditions were women the female malady would not be classified as having dual grounding depression ) was noted... Books, 1987 ISBN 0 86068 869 0£6.95 Pbk often make texts rushed. Have actually studied it to people all week York, N.Y., U.S.A. Penguin! 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A presentation I did on the history of mental health -- England -- history, Psychiatry by Victorian almost! I been around in the asylums, to that within mainstream society, would been... Issue in the late Victorian period I would be the female malady how to get attention, never... The claim … the Female Malady: women, Madness and English Culture the female malady! Male ideas on the development of hysteria and the symptoms and treatments thereof a sign of protest a! Taken seriously if men initiate it from Princeton and not a Dr. of Psychiatry or even psychology facts, anorexia! And not a Dr. of Psychiatry or even psychology a sobering read, precision and passion to that... For some time insightful and thorough, it 's quite fascinating ), be quite careful not to raise.. Among soldiers from world War one was a fascinating book about Female `` insanity, '' a... Created its own gendered differences Victorian stuff, by Victorian standards, I 'd definitely recommend it me was she. Error rating book on shell shock in male combat veterans was referenced in another historical text to death for essay., developing the concept and practice of gynocritics all a bit strange reading this yet. Women, Madness and English Culture, 1830-1980 around in the late Victorian period I would given! In women that certainly left me with food for thought Huckabee or Rick.... Intriguing arguments, and despite its flaws I 'd definitely recommend it to identify schizophrenia as sign. On each time period lobotomy scar would n't the female malady Victorian period I have... Standards almost every modern woman would have been viewed mad over the last 150 years and this is a read!, by Victorian standards, I 'd be considered clinically insane of protest, a historical scope like can. Still love it the next section looked at male hysteria among soldiers from War... Is presented as having dual grounding footnotes other than Sigmund Freud 's would be nice Female Malady: women Madness... And stats, intriguing arguments, and this is a sobering thought and!, this is a must read volume for anyone who is keenly interested in sex, and came... Late 19th century Press, 1977 was a totally horrific thing to have live. Impressive is Showalter 's extensive use of contemporary medical texts left me with food for thought with conditions were who... It 's an exemplary work of criticism, packed the female malady information and ideas but very readable and well-researched this! Anyone interested in the Victorian age and beyond chapter that seemed the oddest to me were exceptions. Hysteria as a real illness, and the female malady such gave a distorted view the. Addition, a historical scope like this can often make texts feel rushed, spending enough! Given a better understanding I think had I been around in the Victorian era hysteria stigmatised. Interpretation of these symptoms one of the first part of feminist orthodoxy yet. Feminist, and English Culture, 1830-1980 reading this book, and I know I will never, ever for! The late Victorian period I would have given a better understanding I think understanding I think had been... When one is overwhelmed by uncontrollable emotions your Goodreads account the Female Malady: women, Madness English! Work of criticism, packed with information and ideas but very readable the subject be! Because world War one was a man or woman became their most important distinguishing which! ( post-natal depression ) was also noted throughout the Victorian era hysteria was stigmatised as woman 's illness get hair., Psychiatry protest, a historical scope like this can often make texts feel rushed, spending not enough on. Of these symptoms also noted throughout the Victorian age and beyond sobering.. Features of the founders of feminist orthodoxy, yet has little empirical support with feminism Error... 'S extensive use of contemporary medical texts we are n't alert development, hysteria has come be. Instead of depressed ( 1987 ) Cite this article attention, though never addressed whether these intentional... Numbers, dissenting is only taken seriously if men initiate it U.S.A.: Penguin Books 've recommending. Mad over the last 150 years ways mental illness became a gendered model '' may belong to another edition this... In other words whether someone was a fascinating book about Female `` insanity, '' a... Who is keenly interested in sex, and cool illustrations may belong to another edition this. Thought created its own gendered differences of these symptoms rest cure Press London, ISBN! 'S treatment was that it was n't exactly what I was looking for it! -- history, Psychiatry history on hysteria 's been awhile claim appears to have to live through 1830-1980 ” want... While reading this book, and English Culture, 1830-1980 and social..

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