Publication Date

2026

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Hibbett, Ryan

Degree Name

Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

Legacy Department

Department of English

Abstract

In Gothic literature, madness has often been connected to the outliers of what is considered socially normal. This dissertation explores the enduring theme of madness, particularly the figure of the “madwoman,” in both women’s literature and in its “afterlife”—or continuing conversation with—contemporary pop music. Through a comparative analysis of songs including Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights” (1978), Beyoncé’s “Hold Up” (2016), Lady Gaga’s “Plastic Doll” (2020), Olivia Rodrigo’s “good 4 u” (2021), Billie Eilish’ “What Was I Made For?” (2023), Paramore’s cover of “Burning Down the House” (2024), Taylor Swift’s “mad woman” (2020) and Florence + the Machine’s “Dream Girl Evil” (2022) alongside Gothic literature, this discussion argues that modern women pop artists continue the literary tradition of challenging the concept of madness as it relates to women. Furthermore, analyzing the songs alongside comparative readings of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (1847), Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights (1847), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1831 edition), and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper (1892), this discussion illuminates how the madwoman becomes a symbolic representation of societal fears and repressions, embodying the consequences of an oppressive patriarchal framework.

Extent

157 pages

Language

en

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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