| Papers [1-16] of 100 :: [Page 1 of 7] | | Go to page : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 —> | Search results on "LITERARY MADNESS": |
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Madness in Women, 2002.
A review of several literary works to find the common thread of madness in the women characters in a bid to restore balance in their lives.
1,451 words (approx. 5.8 pages), 0 sources, AU$ 70.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the theme of madness in women in three works -?Room of One's Own? , an essay by ?Virginia Woolf?, the novel "Sula" by Toni Morrison and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper?. The paper shows that the common theme of these literary pieces is that we see the struggle for expression and the quest to overcome masculine oppression (on the part of the author) finds expression as a deteriorating mental state of the character. There is a clear undertone of madness in each of these works that we can possibly attribute to the outburst of emotional force to escape from the clutches of the male dominated and racist worlds.
From the Paper
"Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper? is again a story about a woman engulfed in her own inner world of depression and her struggle to come out of it. Here the central character (narrator) represents the aspect of madness throughout the story. It is in fact based on the experience the author had with neurasthenia, an emotional imbalance. Gilman found that she was getting to the worse with the doctor?s advice of continuous bedrest and medication and eventually stopped the treatment. This saved her and it is this experience that she tries to picturize in her story ?The Yellow Paper?. The narrator (the woman) becomes afflicted with some kind of paranoid illusion. The tone of the novel switches gradually from sane to insane as the woman develops her own inner world where she begins to involve more deeply with the complex designs of the wall paper. Slowly her condition deteriorates and she begins to feel a woman trapped inside the wall yellow paper. The author symbolizes the wallpaper as a tool to explain the subjugated feminine personality."
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Madness in "King Lear" and "Twelfth Night", 2002.
Examines the multiple levels of the theme of madness in two plays by William Shakespeare, "King Lear" and "Twelfth Night".
2,150 words (approx. 8.6 pages), 6 sources, AU$ 115.95
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Abstract
Madness in Shakespearean plays has distinct and multiple meanings and purposes. On one level, the madness of insanity is clearly felt in the tragedies like "Lear". On another, madness is also felt in the frenetic pace of impossible situations and comedic errors in judgment as is found in "Twelfth Night". Madness is, then, both tragic and comedic. But, it is much more than that. Madness represents a loss of control, of being borne by unnatural impulses, drivesa nd, perhaps, voices. Being mad is to not be yourself, it is to have lost touch with humanity, with life and with reality. The mad are excused from the rules of man and at the same time, tragically bound by them. For some, in madness is found freedom. Lear is wrapped, tightly, within a horrible prison created by his inability to see through the duplicitous daughters and embrace the one person in his life that loves him enough to refuse him. His madness, in the end, is what sets him free of the binds that his daughters and his pride had him in. The madness, however, is like the release from an intense and long-term drug addiction, it is horrible to watch, but leaves Lear in a better state afterward, free of poisons. Madness also allows otherwise straight-laced, bound by social rules (which were oppressive in Elizabethan England), to freely express inner passions, make mistakes and be fools in the eyes of others without fear of recourse, as is the case with nearly every character in "Twelfth Night". It is the purpose of this paper to examine the nature of madness in the Shakespearean context, how it plays out in both King Lear and Twelfth Night, and the meaning behind the madness in both works.
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Women and Madness, 2003.
A detailed look at society's vision of madness in women, focusing on African-American women. Discusses madness as a stereotypical temporary or long-term substitution for identity.
2,335 words (approx. 9.3 pages), 4 sources, MLA, AU$ 103.95
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Abstract
The analysis compares and contrasts different forms of so- called "madness" in female characters from the following novels: "Praisesong for the Widow," "Nervous Conditions," and "Juletane." It focuses on the battle for personal identity to overcome madness.
From the Paper
?What if mad people weren?t mad? What if certain types of behaviour which simple ordinary people call madness, were just wisdom, a reflection of the clear sighted hypersensitivity of a pure, upright soul plunged into a real or imaginary affective void?? (Juletane, 2) Madness: a term so frequently used to describe nearly every socially deviant thing one might do or attribute to. If I were to spontaneously up-root myself and move to entirely new place (be it across the state, country, or sea) for no logical reason (in the mind of the one pushing labels), I might be considered mad. Someone in the grocery store cursing the tomatoes in aisle five, for being so ripe, may be considered mad. If one were to commit a homicide, they would surely be titled ?mad.? If you like green eggs and ham, Dr. Seuss fans might just label you mad. If you have metal all over your face and tattoos on your arms and legs, certainly you are mad. But then, what is this madness? If someone can be labeled as ?mad? for all of the aforementioned, can we assume that ?mad? is just a stereotype for one who deviates from the so-called norm? In this essay, I aim to prove that madness is indeed a stereotype aimed at differentiating between the socially ?normal? and socially deviant individuals; represented by loss of identity and tradition, by guidance of the novels Praisesong for the Widow, Nervous Conditions, and Juletane."
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The Madness of "Wuthering Heights", 2002.
A look at madness in Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights, focusing on Catherine Linton and Heathcliff and the effects of madness on themselves and the people around them.
1,389 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 3 sources, MLA, AU$ 67.95
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Abstract
By analyzing the novel, "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte, this paper examines the effects of madness on the character Catherine Linton's health and concludes that her health problems were brought on by her temper and fits of rage. It also examines Heathcliff's sanity and how it effected his health. The paper takes into account Heathcliff's calculated revenge and draws similarities to William Shakespeare's character, Hamlet. It also shows how Heathcliff uses madness to control the character Isabella.
From the Paper
"Madness can assume many different forms: a concept demonstrated throughout Emily Bront??s Wuthering Heights. Through both character development and their actions, Wuthering Heights presents various forms of madness in the characters and shows how this insanity affects not only the characters themselves but also those close to them. Many characters exhibit behaviors that appear to be ?mad?. Some, such as Catherine, may be truly insane while others may, at times, be feigning madness as a means to control the actions of others. Heathcliff also has tendencies that make him seem insane, but is he really? At times, his actions seem to contradict themselves, leading the reader to ponder the true meaning of insanity itself."
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Madness in "Hamlet", 2002.
A critical review of Shakespeare's "Hamlet", with specific reference to the theme of madness.
2,180 words (approx. 8.7 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 97.95
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Abstract
This paper reviews ?Hamlet? by Shakespeare, focusing on the concept of madness. It investigates what the nature of madness is and whether madness can even be defined in a ?mad world?. It then strives to espouse what a person can learn about his/herself by studying Hamlet?s interaction with the concept of madness.
From the Paper
"Sometimes there?s a fine line between madness and sanity. Sometimes there?s a fine line between pretense and reality. Pretending madness for too long, could send one over the brink, especially if one has a propensity to brilliance, instability and overanalysis. Shakespeare asks his audience to look deeply into the themes he incorporates into his dramas, offering them an opportunity to explore how his ideas might apply to their own lives. In Hamlet Shakespeare weaves madness into a complex thematic tapestry. He is not asking us to decide if Hamlet is really mad, rather he is asking us to consider several questions: What is the nature of madness? Can madness even be defined in a mad world? What can I learn about myself by studying Hamlet?s interaction with the concept of madness?"
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Madness in "Hamlet", "Macbeth," and "King Lear", 2005.
Discussion of the recurring theme of madness in three of Shakespeare's tragedies: "Hamlet," "Macbeth," and "King Lear".
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 4 sources, MLA, AU$ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the theme of madness in the major characters of the three tragedies 'Hamlet,' 'Macbeth,' and 'King Lear.' Hamlet and Ophelia are compared and contrasted, then Ophelia is compared to and contrasted against Lady Macbeth. The witches in 'Macbeth' are related to the theme of madness, then madness is explored in Lear and Edgar. Emphasis is given to speech patterns and the allusion to madness. The paper ends with an analysis of the necessity and reason for the madness of these characters and how they contribute to the tragedy as a whole.
From the Paper
"The theme of madness occurs repeatedly throughout the three tragedies Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear. Ophelia slips into madness after her father's death while Hamlet puts on an act of madness in Hamlet. Madness takes the form of visions in Macbeth, in both the spells and predictions of the weird sisters and of Lady Macbeth's nightmares. In King Lear, madness is shown through Edgar's mockery and disguise and through the natural descent of the king."
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Madness in "Hamlet|, 2002.
Explores the theme of madness in "Hamlet".
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 3 sources, AU$ 64.95
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Abstract
The idea of madness is one which many writers have explored. By becoming mad, people are granted leave of social, moral, and political expectations. In essence, they become free because as they take leave of their senses, they are shown the societal exit door and enter a world of their own creation. Madness, however, is not a free ticket to a different reality, it comes with a very dear price. For, by leaving logic behind and becoming ruled only by emotion, rather than making things better, events will inevitably turn for the worse. It is the purpose of this paper, then to explore the theme of madness as it appears in Shakespeare's Hamlet.
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Madness, 2004.
An examination of the concept of madness in "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and "A Wilderness Station" by Alice Munro.
815 words (approx. 3.3 pages), 2 sources, MLA, AU$ 42.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how the central characters exhibit some form of madness or refusal to live in reality. It explores the madness and looks at what role it plays in each story. It explains how madness is at the heart of both these compelling short stories; why the characters go mad is quite important to the ultimate understanding of both of them.
From the Paper
"Both of these women use madness as a vehicle of escape from their real lives, and both of these characters suffer at the hands of others, which helps contribute to their madness. In "The Yellow Wall-Paper," the narrator's husband does not understand her or her illness at all, and he treats her like a child, allowing her no mental or physical stimulation. It is no wonder she goes mad, there is nothing else for her to do in the countryside while her husband is away all day. She says, "Dear John! He loves me very dearly, and hates to have me sick. I tried to have a real earnest reasonable talk with him the other day, and tell him how I wish he would let me go and make a visit to Cousin Henry and Julia" (Gilman). Here is the underlying cause of her eventual downward spiral into madness, her husband keeps her a virtual prisoner, and will not give her any freedom in the name of "love." Today, his behavior would be called mental abuse, and she would have many more options to explore. The same is true in "A Wilderness Station.""
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Hamlet and his State of Madness, 2006.
A look at Hamlet's apparent madness in the play 'Hamlet' by William Shakespeare.
1,650 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 4 sources, MLA, AU$ 77.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the uncertainty surrounding Hamlet's apparent state of melancholy and madness. The paper describes his madness, reviewing how it develops, why it develops, and what purpose it serves for Hamlet.
From the Paper
"Yet, in marrying his mother so quickly, Claudius has done something that Hamlet's conscious cannot forgive. This leaves Hamlet at a point of inaction, where his desire to seek revenge is not great enough to overcome his cowardice. The ghost of his father and the message that he brings is then a way for Hamlet to force himself to take action. In short, Hamlet cannot choose to take revenge on Claudius willingly. Instead, he has to create a scenario for himself where he believes that he has no choice. When he imagines he sees his father's ghost and is told to take revenge, he has given himself such a scenario. Another important point that reveals Hamlet's madness is the actions he takes after he is told to take revenge. After speaking with the ghost, Hamlet swears that he will take revenge. However, he does not immediately choose to take revenge. Instead, he considers his actions and falls into a state of melancholy and madness."
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Madness and Sanity, 2007.
This paper examines the nature and function of madness and sanity in two American short stories: Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" and Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher".
1,153 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 2 sources, MLA, AU$ 57.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses two short stories by two leading 19th century American authors, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe. The writer points out that they each deal, although much differently, with themes of madness and sanity in two of their short stories, "Young Goodman Brown" and "The Fall of the House of Usher". The writer compares and contrasts these authors' uses of the themes of madness and/or sanity within these stories. The writer concludes that while both authors arguably explore themes of sanity and madness within these stories, they also do so much differently than one another.
From the Paper
"In Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown", the title character, an upright young Puritan, either dreams about, daydreams about, or actually experiences (in the writer's opinion, he dreams about) going into the forest by night and taking part in a devil-worshipping ceremony with his fellow Puritans, including many of the most religious ones in Puritan Salem, Massachusetts. Hawthorne's main character Young Goodman Brown is a sane and, if anything, repressed young man (like all Puritans), and his dream is actually, therefore, an unconscious "letting go" of his troubled psyche into areas he cannot allow it, consciously, to explore while he is awake. Therefore, when Young Goodman Brown wakes up again, he is now troubled by intrusive waking thoughts left over from the dream, which, having now emerged into his conscious psyche, Young Goodman Brown cannot merely push down into the unconscious again."
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Madness in Hamlet, 2002.
A look at the theme of madness in Shakespeare's "Hamlet".
2,900 words (approx. 11.6 pages), 11 sources, AU$ 154.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the play Hamlet. The focus is upon whether or not Hamlet's madness is feigned or real. The opinions of the characters as to Hamlet's madness are considered, as are his own words and actions. The paper concludes with the observation that the truth concerning Hamlet's madness cannot be conclusively determined because Shakespeare himself is vague as to whether it is genuine or not.
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Madness:"The Fall of the House of Usher", 2002.
A discussion of the meaning of madness in this Edgar Allen Poe short story.
2,300 words (approx. 9.2 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 101.95
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Abstract
The paper explores the meaning of madness in this short story through the analysis of setting, plot, and character development. Examples from the text are given. A discussion of Poe's use of the house to represent the madness and despair of the family is presented.
From the Paper
"To understand the ultimate meaning of madness is this dark tale, we must first look at the story itself, and the protagonists who inspire such madness. The opening lines of ?Usher? immediately prepare us for the setting of the story. Throughout the tale, Poe consistently reminds the reader that the House of Usher is dank, dark, and depressing. ?During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens? (Poe). This dreary setting is the perfect backdrop for the two remaining members of the Usher family, Roderick, and his twin sister Madeline.
The narrator of the story receives a letter from his boyhood friend, Roderick, who begs him to come for a visit. ?The writer spoke of acute bodily illness ? of a pitiable mental idiosyncrasy which oppressed him,? (Poe) and it is no wonder. The narrator says when he first sees the house, ?I had so worked upon my imagination as really to believe that around about the whole mansion and domain there hung an atmosphere peculiar to themselves and their immediate vicinity ? an atmosphere which had no affinity with the air of heaven, but which had reeked up from the decayed trees, and the gray wall, and the silent tarn, in the form of an inelastic vapor or gas ? dull, sluggish, faintly discernible, and leadenhued? (Poe). He feels the house is staring at him, and immediately we understand that this is no ordinary house, and no ordinary family that lives in it. From the very beginning of the story, the madness is apparent in the house, and in the residents. It is frightening, and yet seems very appropriate in this dark and dreary setting, full of sickly inhabitants."
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"After the Madness", 2004.
A review of Sol Wachtler's book, "After the Madness".
993 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper examines Sol Wachtler's "After the Madness", a riveting, powerful story about a distinguished public servant that finds himself on the other side of the law. The main character, who is also the author, writes about his experiences as a defendant and occupant of the criminal justice system in America. It looks at how the moral of the story, at least from Wachtler's perspective, is that the prison system is inherently flawed.
From the Paper
"Wachtler suggests, implicitly and explicitly, a top-to-bottom reform of the prison system. He distinguishes drug and other nonviolent offenses from those involving violence. Those convicted of the latter would be much more suitable in the present system?where guards are vicious, noise is unbearable, and danger is a constant. Those guilty of nonviolent crimes, Wachtler contends, deserve much better. They do not pose nearly the same threat to society?they are hardly different from their contemporaries outside the walls of the prison. Nonviolent offenders, like Wachtler, are not criminals by nature, and need rehabilitation rather than imprisonment."
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A Comparison of Madness, 2002.
Compares madness in the Emperor Nero and the character of Atreus in "Thyestes" by Seneca.
2,400 words (approx. 9.6 pages), 5 sources, AU$ 128.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the qualities of Seneca's "Thyestes" in respect to a comparison between the character of Atreus and the Emperor Nero. The madness of these two men, one fictional and one very real, is expressed in both Seneca's writings and those of the historian Suetonius.
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Literary Madness, 2004.
Examines the depiction of madness through disassociation in two works of literature: "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and "Joe Turner?s Come and Gone" by August Wilson.
1,770 words (approx. 7.1 pages), 7 sources, MLA, AU$ 83.95
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Abstract
Cognition is, simply stated, the way in which the mind interprets information received from the senses. It is the pathway to understanding. Disassociation can run the gamut from day-dreaming to an extreme mental disorder that encompasses a separation of mental processes, such as thoughts, emotions, cognition, memory and identity. This paper shows how, in the short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and the play, "Joe Turner?s Come and Gone" by August Wilson, madness based on disassociation is a central theme.
From the Paper
"In The Yellow Wallpaper, the narrator, under treatment for 'hysteria', is taken "three miles from the village" (Gilman 11) to an upstairs nursery of a "colonial mansion" (Gilman 9), its windows barred and its walls covered in a faded yellow wallpaper whose "sprawling flamboyant patterns" commit "every artistic sin" (Gilman 13). In time, the woman succumbs to the disassociation focused on the wallpaper and is stripped of her sanity and humanity in the same manner that the wall is stripped of the wallpaper by the woman (Bak 39). The story ends with her trying to become a part of the wallpaper and succeeding only in bringing her own life to an end."
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Madness in Early Modern Europe, 2004.
A look at the institutions and concepts of mental health care from a historical perspective.
1,652 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 17 sources, APA, AU$ 77.95
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Abstract
This paper attempts to determine how the concept of and care for madness changed from century to century in Early Modern Europe. The paper discusses what influenced the concept of madness, what was done with mad people, how they were treated, the different meanings and definitions of madness, and the role gender played in the identification and treatment of madness. The resources used for this paper are appended.
From the Paper
"Research is crucial to the advancement of science, be it medical, psychological and, or, any number of the sciences. A look into the past often allows a deeper understanding of the theories, processes and ideologies of the present. Many scholars have provided insight into the institutions and concepts of mental health from a historical perspective, Michel Foucault, Roy Porter and Andrew Skull among them. The care of the mentally ill has evolved from the concept of social control. Where once it was the responsibility of the family and, or, community to control mad or abnormal behavior ; it is now seen as the responsibility of the medical community. Care for the mentally ill was also the responsibility of the family or community, then the religious organization, private asylums and, eventually, the medical profession and hospitalization. During the medieval era, the king was sometimes held responsible for the ?lunatic? and his or her family."
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