Feminism Horror Story

Feminism Horror Story

We have come a long way with mental health facilities, it can be often simple as visiting your local GP and picking up a prescription. However, I have recently finished watching the American Horror Story ‘Asylum’ series (Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy, 2012) and it has made me question what people went through to get to where we are today. This blog focuses on feminism and mental health in the sixties; how could a woman be recognized as insane? This was an era when civil rights were not assured and many people who were “trained” professionals did not treat patients morally or ethically. Women, especially received unjustifiable treatment.  

Asylum is set at the Briarcliff mental institution in 1964. Although women’s rights were progressing in the sixties, the mental health aspect was very dark. I have explored what both the female and male characters represent in terms of feminism.

So it begins

The trend of admitting women to asylums began in the Victorian times. Women would be sent away, typically by their husbands or fathers if they were not conforming to the Victorian norms of women. This was still evident in the sixties, as women were expected to be stable housewives under male dominance. Other reasons women could be linked in with religious values, such as pregnancy before marriage.

Lana Winters

Lana is an ambitious journalist and attempted to investigate the Asylum, which could also resemble Nellie Bly in real life. However, when it was discovered she was a homosexual, Lana was admitted as a patient. In the sixties, homosexuality was considered a mental health illness. Homosexual women and men would experience practices such as electrotherapy and learn how to be feminine/masculine. As a woman, Lana’s successful profession is another aspect which could intimidate society.

Dr Arden and Sister Mary Eunice

Dr Arden’s character is a Nazi scientist who performed many experiments on characters including electrotherapy. Despite lack of religious views, Arden always admired Sister Mary Eunice because of her purity. When she becomes possessed by the devil, she becomes over-sexual and sadistic. He uses terms such "whore" and "slut" as he resents her for this which shows his expectations of women.

 Shelley

Shelley is an example of a sex-obsessed woman who was sent to the Asylum because of her husband. Her husband repeatedly cheated on her while expecting her to be a housewife. When she cheated back, he sent her to Briarcliff as revenge, reporting her as a ‘nymphomaniac.’

Bloody hell

Dr. Thredson is the sigh of relief throughout the majority of the show as he attempts to help Lana Winters escape from the asylum. However, a dark twist emerges when we discover his identity as “bloody face.” We discover that he murdered Lana’s partner. He traps Lana and refers to her as “mother” because he was lacking a maternal figure in his life. This implies that women’s roles as mothers were highly expected in a sixties society. Furthermore, “bloody face” rapes Lana and Dr Arden attempts to rape Shelley in another scene. This demonstrates the contradicting ideology of women being pure and sexual objects.

How has it changed?

There have been several governmental initiatives to help improve mental institutions. In the sixties, Kennedy’s commitment was a strong factor. President John F. Kennedy signed the “Community Mental Health Centres Act of 1963” to reform the system. This did not only improve the conditions for the future, but his sister had received a prefrontal lobotomy which enhanced his passion for improving the system. It is important to consider that most lobotomy procedures were performed on women.

Overall, while American Horror Story is fictional each season contains an underlying truth of real American stories. Many of the characters emphasise gender issues in the sixties. Lana Winters finally escapes from bloody face and writes a book on her experiences which exploits the treatments within Asylums. This enables her to become a successful celebrity regardless of her gender and sexuality.