The title could be changed to "Freak in the Attic," since lots of these examples aren't insane (many of them have other conditions) or women.
And just as a question, would Toph Bei Fong from Avatar The Last Airbender count (if only as an aversion, subversion, playing with, etc.)? She was raised in more of a Gilded Cage setting than the stereotypical "chained in a dingy attic or basement"—she lived in luxury and had the run of the whole estate. But she was still kept a secret from the world because of her condition.
Edited by VanHohenheimOfXerxesThe fact that some of the examples aren't female makes the naming of the title stupid. Even the picture example isn't a female nor the character from Goonies was phychotic. If you guys are going to be edit happy atleast pic a appropriate title
Hide / Show RepliesAgreed. This trope needs to either be renamed or revised. For the purposes of the text, the title of "The Madwoman in the Attic," functioned also as a metaphorical representation of the "affliction" women writers during the 19th century suffered as they attempted to configure their identities and place in a literary tradition traditionally conceived as patrilinear. The whole concept of locking up a mad woman does not constitute the entirety of the text, therefore it does not make sense to name this trope after it. Additionally, because the examples provided are examples that include both men and women, the feminist implications of the text itself are completely lost. Please, please revise.
Edited by holydoubleidentity
Linking to a past Trope Repair Shop thread that dealt with this page: Rename, started by draconous on Dec 23rd 2010 at 3:01:38 AM
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