A Book Summary of The Madwoman in the Attic by Sandra Ellen Mortola and Susan Gubar

Summary

In 'The Madwoman in the Attic,' Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar delve into 19th-century literature, examining the portrayal of women as either 'angels' or 'monsters.' Using Jane Eyre's Bertha Mason as a symbol, they critique the societal pressures on female authors in patriarchal Victorian England. Despite its focus on a narrow demographic, the book remains a seminal work in feminist literary criticism, challenging readers to consider the hidden feminist messages in classic literature.

Takeaways

• 📚 The book 'The Madwoman in the Attic' by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar is a seminal work in feminist literary criticism, first published in 1979.
• 🔐 The title is inspired by Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre,' where Bertha Mason, Mr. Rochester's first wife, symbolizes the 'monstrous other' confined to the attic.
• 👩‍💻 Gilbert and Gubar explore the portrayal of women in Victorian literature, highlighting the dichotomy of women as either 'angels' or 'monsters'.
• 📈 The book was influential enough to warrant a second, updated edition in 2000, more than two decades after its initial release.
• 🎭 It discusses the 'anxiety of authorship' faced by women writers in patriarchal Victorian society, who often felt isolated in their literary pursuits.
• 📖 Authors like Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, Emily Brontë, Charlotte Brontë, and George Eliot are analyzed for their contributions to feminist messages within traditional narratives.
• 🤝 The study reveals how female authors of the time subtly embedded feminist critiques in their works, often through the portrayal of dual female characters.
• 🔍 The 'angel in the house' and 'madwoman in the attic' tropes are used to illustrate the suppressed rage and power of women under patriarchal oppression.
• 💭 The book acknowledges the gap between how women authors saw themselves and how society perceived them, often leading to a dichotomy in their literary representations.
• 🔄 Despite its criticisms for being too narrow in scope and overly simplistic, 'The Madwoman in the Attic' remains a cornerstone in feminist literary analysis.
• 👀 The summary invites listeners to engage with the book, reflecting its enduring relevance and the authors' call for a broader discussion on women's experiences in literature.

Q & A

What is the title of the book discussed in the script?

The book discussed in the script is titled 'The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination' by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar.

When was the first edition of 'The Madwoman in the Attic' published?

The first edition of 'The Madwoman in the Attic' was published in 1979.

What is the significance of the title 'The Madwoman in the Attic'?

The title 'The Madwoman in the Attic' is derived from Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre', where Bertha Mason, Rochester's first wife, is locked in the attic, symbolizing the 'woman as monster' trope.

What does the 'anxiety of authorship' refer to, as discussed in the book?

The 'anxiety of authorship' refers to the difficulty women writers faced in establishing themselves in the patriarchal society of Victorian England, feeling isolated and without female peers to discuss writing.

Which female authors are mentioned in the script as being discussed in 'The Madwoman in the Attic'?

The script mentions Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, Emily Brontë, Charlotte Brontë, and George Eliot as female authors discussed in the book.

How did Victorian female novelists often hide their feminist messages according to the book?

Victorian female novelists often hid their feminist messages by placing them just beneath the surface of stories that seemed traditional, using characters that were split into two extremes: the 'angel in the house' and the 'madwoman in the attic'.

What criticism has 'The Madwoman in the Attic' received more recently?

More recent scholars have criticized 'The Madwoman in the Attic' for being too simple, reductionist, and for focusing on a small number of white, often wealthy, female authors, leaving out other types of novels and the experiences of middle and lower-class women.

What is the main argument of Gilbert and Gubar regarding the portrayal of women in Victorian literature?

Gilbert and Gubar argue that Victorian literature often portrayed women as either 'angels' or 'monsters', reflecting the societal pressures and limitations placed on women during that era.

What is the 'woman as monster' trope as it is discussed in the book?

The 'woman as monster' trope refers to the portrayal of women in Victorian literature as monstrous or deviant from societal norms, often used to highlight their passion, strangeness, or madness, as exemplified by Bertha Mason in 'Jane Eyre'.

How does the book 'The Madwoman in the Attic' contribute to feminist literary criticism?

The book 'The Madwoman in the Attic' contributes to feminist literary criticism by analyzing the portrayal of women in Victorian literature and the challenges faced by female authors in a patriarchal society, thus highlighting the hidden feminist messages in their works.

Outlines

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📚 'The Madwoman in the Attic': A Feminist Critique of Victorian Literature

This video introduces 'The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination' by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar, a seminal work in feminist literary criticism since its first publication in 1979. The book's title is inspired by Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre,' where the 'madwoman' symbolizes the suppressed and monstrous aspects of women in Victorian society. Gilbert and Gubar explore how Victorian female authors, such as Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, Emily Brontë, and George Eliot, navigated the patriarchal constraints of their time. They faced the 'anxiety of authorship,' often feeling isolated as women writers. Their works, while appearing traditional, subtly contained feminist messages and depicted women in dualistic roles as either 'angels in the house' or 'madwomen in the attic.' These roles reflect the dichotomy of societal expectations and internalized anger towards patriarchal oppression. Despite its importance, the book has been criticized for its narrow focus on a select group of white, often affluent, female authors and for being reductionist in its analysis. The video concludes by inviting viewers to engage with the book and subscribe for more summaries.

Keywords

💡Feminist literary criticism

Feminist literary criticism is an approach to literature that seeks to understand the role and representation of women in literary works, as well as the ways in which literature reinforces or challenges patriarchal norms. In the video, this concept is central as it discusses how 'The Madwoman in the Attic' became a landmark in feminist literary criticism, analyzing the portrayal of women in Victorian literature and challenging traditional gender roles.

💡Anxiety of authorship

The 'anxiety of authorship' refers to the feeling of isolation and lack of support that female authors in the 19th century might have experienced due to the patriarchal society and the scarcity of female literary role models. The video explains that this anxiety influenced the way women wrote, often leading to a subversive feminist message hidden beneath traditional narratives.

💡Madwoman in the attic

The 'madwoman in the attic' is a trope that symbolizes the hidden anger, rage, and power of women, particularly in contrast to the 'angel in the house.' In the video, this concept is used to illustrate how Victorian female novelists portrayed women as either pure and submissive or monstrous and powerful, reflecting the societal pressures and constraints on women.

💡Angel in the house

The 'angel in the house' is a 19th-century ideal of femininity that represented women as submissive, virtuous, and domestic. The video discusses how this ideal was often contrasted with the 'madwoman in the attic,' showing the dichotomy in how women were perceived and expected to behave in Victorian society.

💡Victorian literature

Victorian literature refers to the literature produced during the reign of Queen Victoria in the United Kingdom (1837–1901). The video focuses on how women were portrayed in this literature, often as either angels or monsters, reflecting the societal norms and expectations of the time.

💡Patriarchal society

A patriarchal society is one in which men hold primary power and are the dominant group. The video discusses how the patriarchal society of Victorian England made it difficult for women to establish themselves as authors and influenced the way they wrote about female characters.

💡Subversive feminist message

A subversive feminist message is a subtle or hidden critique of patriarchal norms and gender roles within a work of literature. The video explains that many Victorian female authors embedded such messages in their works to challenge societal expectations without overtly confronting them.

💡Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre is a novel by Charlotte Brontë, published in 1847, which features the character of Bertha Mason, the 'madwoman in the attic.' The video uses this character as an example of how women were portrayed in Victorian literature and how she came to symbolize the monstrous other in contrast to the virtuous Jane.

💡Bertha Mason

Bertha Mason is a character in 'Jane Eyre' who is portrayed as the 'madwoman in the attic.' The video discusses how her character is used by Gilbert and Gubar to illustrate the 'woman as monster' trope and to analyze the Victorian perception of women as either angels or monsters.

💡Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar

Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar are the authors of 'The Madwoman in the Attic.' The video highlights their work as a significant contribution to feminist literary criticism, discussing how they analyzed the portrayal of women in Victorian literature and the challenges faced by female authors in a patriarchal society.

💡Reductionist

Reductionist is a term used to describe an approach that oversimplifies complex issues by reducing them to a single cause or aspect. The video mentions that Gilbert and Gubar's work has been criticized for being reductionist, suggesting that it may oversimplify the analysis of women's experiences in Victorian literature.

Highlights

The book 'The Madwoman in the Attic' by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar is a landmark work of feminist literary criticism.

The book's title is inspired by Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre', specifically the character of Bertha Mason.

Bertha Mason represents the 'woman as monster' trope, illustrating Victorian views of women as either angels or monsters.

Gilbert and Gubar discuss the challenges female authors faced in the patriarchal society of Victorian England.

The concept of 'anxiety of authorship' is introduced, describing the isolation female writers felt.

The authors argue that female writers often hid subversive feminist messages within traditional narratives.

Characters in Victorian literature are often split into the 'angel in the house' and the 'madwoman in the attic'.

The 'madwoman' character represents a woman's hidden anger, rage, and power.

Female authors often paired two female characters to show the range of women's emotions.

The 'evil woman' character reflects the author's real anger at patriarchal oppression.

Female characters written by women show the gap between how women see themselves and how they are seen by others.

The book reflects the sad social reality of Victorian women's lives, though not always explicitly.

Critics argue that Gilbert and Gubar's analysis is too simple and reductionist.

The book has been criticized for focusing on a small number of white, often wealthy, female authors.

The book does not adequately address the experiences of middle and lower-class women.

Despite criticisms, 'The Madwoman in the Attic' remains influential in feminist literary criticism.

Transcripts

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today sandra gilbert and susan goobar

wrote the madwoman in the attic the

woman writer and the 19th century

literary imagination

it came out for the first time in 1979

it was praised right away and has since

become a landmark work of feminist

literary criticism

in fact it has become so important that

a second updated edition came out in

2000 more than 20 years after the first

one

the title of the madwoman in the attic

comes from jane eyre a famous book from

the early 1800s

bertha mason rochester's first wife has

gone crazy and is locked up in the attic

of their home bertha mason rochester was

a rich creole woman from jamaica

because of this she is a kind of

monstrous other who stands in contrast

to the good and traditionally english

main character jane

bertha is passionate strange and crazy

all of which the author and the

characters in the book use to make fun

of her in gilbert and gubar's study of

victorian female novelists and how women

were portrayed in victorian literature

bertha is used as an example of the

woman as monster trope

their analysis of her character helps

them figure out how victorians thought

of women as either angels or monsters

in the book authors like jane austen

mary shelley emily braunt charlotte

bronte and george eliot are all talked

about

gilbert and gubar say that women found

it hard to establish themselves as

authors in the patriarchal society of

victorian england they felt what gilbert

and goobar called the anxiety of

authorship which means that they didn't

have other female writers to talk to

about writing many of the women who

wrote during this time felt like they

were the only ones who wanted to be

writers

because of this their work often stays

in traditional settings to get a lot of

people to like it but just below the

surface of these stories that seem

normal is a subversive feminist message

that the women who wrote them tried to

hide because they didn't want to limit

their work

this hidden meaning often showed up in

their descriptions of women who were

often split into two extremes the angel

in the house who was traditionally good

meaning submissive and good and the

madwoman in the attic who was the image

of a woman's hidden anger rage and power

but neither of these two symbols of

femininity as a whole woman in many

books written by women two female

characters are paired together each

character shows half of the range of

emotions with the evil woman often

showing the author's real anger at

patriarchal oppression

female characters written by female

authors show the gap between how women

see themselves and how other women see

them

their real selves were criticized but

their masks of performance were praised

this sad social reality is reflected in

their writing though not always in a way

that shows exactly how hard life was for

victorian women in fact gilbert and

goobar's work lets many women's

real-life experiences slip through the

cracks

the authors and works they looked at are

all in the same social niche so their

findings are only relevant to this small

group

in fact more recent scholars think that

the books analysis is too simple and

even a bit reductionist

it has been criticized for focusing on a

small number of white often wealthy

female authors leaving out whole types

of novels not talking about modern

writers like emmy braden or analyticia

barbald and not talking about the

experiences of middle class and lower

class women in a fair way the madwoman

in the attic the woman writer and the

19th century literary imagination is

still a landmark in feminist literary

criticism even though it has been

criticized

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