Document Type

Senior Honors Project

Publication Date

11-2012

Abstract

This project is a creative and contemplative look into women and their voice (or lack thereof) found throughout literature, specifically in conjunction with the idea of madness. Both in their respective stories and in the realm of readers these characters are often viewed as mad, crazy, or insane. However, here the three characters, Cassandra of Troy, Ophelia, and Bertha Mason-Rochester, are allowed to speak about their experiences, revealing the method to their madness. Cassandra shows how she tries the best she can given the circumstances of a god’s curse. Ophelia is in league with Hamlet in his plot to assassinate his uncle. Bertha expresses the injustices she suffers at the hands of the men in her life and how the world views her through their eyes when they view her at all. Each woman reflects on the path her life has taken and where she will go from there: one finding courage to face the unknown, one slowly losing touch with reality due to guilt, and one eventually discovering closure and acceptance. Through critical analysis of the text and imaginative interplay I was able to achieve believable yet fresh and original characters for these women from canonical literature.

Department/School

Honors Program

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