A Madwoman for Every Room in the House: Eating Disorders, Schizophrenia and Other Forms of Insanity in Seven Victorian Novels

Abstract

The subject of insanity, particularly in female characters, in British novels first attracted my attention while studying nineteenth century Gothic novels with my tutor in Oxford last year. I began looking at "sensation" novels several weeks later, and the plight, as well as the plenitude, of "crazy women" in this genre of fiction fascinated me. When it came to thinking about how to approach this project, however, I was rather at a loss. The interests I have actually pursued in writing this paper include several different topics, not all of which relate specifically to "insanity," but I believe that insanity is the central link which holds what might appear to be disparate topics together. [From Introduction]