In history there has always been different ideals of the perfect body and the societal norms that come with having this body. Many doctors of the nineteenth century have tried to rationalize this theory, mainly known as eugenics, and they also have tried to build the perfect human based on the ideals of it. Eugenics is the theory that by cutting the individuals on the lower half of the bell curve, one will create the perfect human race (Davis 4-5). The ‘normal’ or ‘perfect’ body is usually decided by the general population at any given time period. “The norm pins down the majority of the population that falls under the arch of the standard bell-shaped curve” (Davis 3). Those that fall under the bell curve are seen at the norm and therefore
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Hysteria was a very stimulating topic and many people wanted to write and read about it. It was also a topic that was discussed cross culturally. For example, “The Yellow Wallpaper” was written by a female American writer while Madame Bovary was written by a male French writer. This showed that it was a prevalent topic across the world, and that both men and women were interested in exploring this ‘feminine’ disorder. Nineteenth century literature exposes the idea of hysteria not just a female disease, but also as a …show more content…
These two contrasting ideas exist in literature because if a character does not follow the norms of the time period they are automatically chastised. Because of these norms, characters are put into a villain or victim category. “The Yellow Wallpaper” shows that due to hysteria, protagonist Jane goes insane and is perceived as a villain. She is viewed as a villain because she is not cured of her disease and therefore she is seen as a social deviant. However, by modern views, Jane is a victim because she was constrained by the patriarchal society of the nineteenth century in which she lives in. Emma from Madame Bovary also has hysterical tendencies, but is as a villain of nineteenth century literature because she openly expresses her sexual desires and she acts on them, which is not socially acceptable.Yeah idk what to say about this >>>>> On the other hand, by a modern viewpoint and Dr. Carter’s theories, she is a victim due to the lack of sexual excitement in her life. Haven’t mentioned him
Hysteria was a very stimulating topic and many people wanted to write and read about it. It was also a topic that was discussed cross culturally. For example, “The Yellow Wallpaper” was written by a female American writer while Madame Bovary was written by a male French writer. This showed that it was a prevalent topic across the world, and that both men and women were interested in exploring this ‘feminine’ disorder. Nineteenth century literature exposes the idea of hysteria not just a female disease, but also as a …show more content…
These two contrasting ideas exist in literature because if a character does not follow the norms of the time period they are automatically chastised. Because of these norms, characters are put into a villain or victim category. “The Yellow Wallpaper” shows that due to hysteria, protagonist Jane goes insane and is perceived as a villain. She is viewed as a villain because she is not cured of her disease and therefore she is seen as a social deviant. However, by modern views, Jane is a victim because she was constrained by the patriarchal society of the nineteenth century in which she lives in. Emma from Madame Bovary also has hysterical tendencies, but is as a villain of nineteenth century literature because she openly expresses her sexual desires and she acts on them, which is not socially acceptable.Yeah idk what to say about this >>>>> On the other hand, by a modern viewpoint and Dr. Carter’s theories, she is a victim due to the lack of sexual excitement in her life. Haven’t mentioned him