%0 Journal Article
%T Out of the Attic: An Analysis of the Evolution of the ¡°Madwoman¡± Image in Anglo-American Literature
%A Xiaohan Li
%A Nan Zhao
%J Open Access Library Journal
%V 13
%N 8
%P 1-15
%@ 2333-9721
%D 2026
%I Open Access Library
%R 10.4236/oalib.1115760
%X The image of the ¡°madwoman¡± has gone through a series of changes in English and American literature. The ¡°madness¡± of women in literature not only refers to pathological mental breakdowns but also reflects the social oppression suffered by women. The ¡°madwoman¡± in British and American literature has gone through a series of changes from the image of ¡°madness¡± under patriarchal oppression to the image of awakening and ¡°madness¡± resistance, and to the image of various ethnic groups of women resisting multiple oppressions in the later period. The change in the image of the ¡°madwoman¡± from silence to awakening to break through the shackles of the ¡°attic¡± reflects the change in the status of women in society, and also greatly reflects the awakening and growth of women¡¯s self-consciousness. The emergence of the image of the ¡°madwomen¡± is of great significance, and their voices help to awaken the self-consciousness of the relevant groups in society, which deserves the attention and research of society and academia. The paper selects typical images of the ¡°madwoman¡± in different periods of English and American literature, explores the manifestations and causes of their ¡°madness¡±, and analyzes the changes of spiritual connotations behind them, in order to provide favorable perspectives for understanding the changes of women¡¯s social status and self-consciousness.
%K The ¡°Madwoman¡±
%K Image Evolution
%K Female Consciousness
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=153003