ABSTRACT
The stereotypical image of women is often one of high emotion and hysteria, although today this would not lead to an easy assumption of insanity. From a gendered perspective past and present, emotional outbursts, however defined, partake of the flavour of an essentially feminine form of 'bad', or socially unacceptable, behaviour. It has been claimed, notably by Elaine Showalter, that during the Victorian period, madness itself was defined as a 'female malady', though this has been challenged by Joan Busfield, arguing this to be a false premise. 1 Today, we are proud to believe, such assumptions are no longer made. But how wellfounded is this complacency? This chapter seeks to go beyond the mechanics of simple stereotyping to explore the nuances involved in gendered labels, past and present.
