LADY AUDLEY: A MAD WOMAN, A SELFISH WOMAN, A NEW WOMAN
LADY AUDLEY: A MAD WOMAN, A SELFISH WOMAN, A NEW WOMAN

Summary/Abstract: By the end of the nineteenth century, women’s sensation novels sparked some of the most heated discussions of their time. Mary Elizabeth Braddon was a female sensationalist who contributed to the development of a cultural movement in which the central focus was the image of the unconventional woman. Lady Audley’s Secret is a sensational blend of criminal and domestic affairs, and since its publication, it has been met with contradictory judgments, ranging from harsh criticism to warm admiration. Women’s sensation novels, which reached peak popularity in the 1860s, and New Woman writing, which emerged in the 1890s, are often considered two distinct types of fiction. However, both are rooted in female writers’ attempts to sketch new models of women striving to redefine their roles in society. This study examines the representation of a new type of woman as depicted by Braddon. Lady Audley’s character is analysed through the novel’s prevalent theme of madness, as well as through selfishness and her role in constructing the New Woman archetype. Additionally, we explore the mental pictures, the perceptions of women as visualized by the male characters in the novel.

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