The Anatomy of Oppression: Pathologizing Women in American History
This paper explores the historical pathologization of women in America, examining how societal norms, religious ideologies, and medical practices have contributed to the marginalization and control of female identity.
Through a chronological narrative, the paper follows a fictional 17-year-old white Protestant girl as she navigates different eras in American history, serving as a lens through which broader patterns of gendered oppression are analyzed.
Beginning with the witch-hunts of colonial America, the paper investigates how religious fervor and deviation from expected female behavior led to the persecution of women labeled as witches. These events are contextualized within a framework of societal fear and patriarchal control. Moving into the 20th century, the paper highlights the use of lobotomies as a medical tool disproportionately applied to women deemed “hysterical” or non-conforming. While lobotomies were not exclusive to women, Howard Dully being a notable male recipient, their frequent use on women underscores a troubling legacy of psychiatric abuse.
The paper incorporates real historical figures and events to ground the narrative in factual evidence, while the fictional protagonist allows for a cohesive and personalized exploration of these themes. Special attention is given to how religious affiliation, race, and age intersect with gender to shape the experiences of women across time.
By focusing on these specific historical moments, the paper aims to illuminate the enduring mechanisms through which women have been pathologized and controlled. Ultimately, it argues that understanding this history is essential to recognizing and dismantling contemporary forms of gender-based oppression.