M.A. (Master of Arts in English), Ohio Dominican University, 2023, English

For centuries, feminine illness has been used a way to silence and subdue women. “Feminine illness” is often referred to as hysteria, melancholia, and madness. Women have been the perceived bearers of this illness, and were considered to be the weaker sex due to ancient beliefs surrounding the physical qualities of the uterus. The first record of this illness can be traced to ancient Egyptian history in 1900 BC according to various scholars and historical documents. This thesis examines two texts: “The Female Quixote, or: The Adventures of Arabella” by Charlotte Lennox, and “The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. These texts offer two differing perspectives on feminine illness in the 18th and 19th century, and mark positive changes through time surrounding this belief. Hinshaw asserts that the societal expectations the female protagonists are pressured to follow cause them to become trapped in this very society. This entrapment essentially provides the protagonists with two choices: they must either use or silence their voices in order to be free of their diagnoses. The choices they make, and the corresponding outcomes, reflect the time in which they live.

Committee: Jeremy Glazier Professor (Other); Martin Brick Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Literature