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Horror of Personality: Exploring the gothicisation of mental illness in American fiction of the long 1950s Victoria Margaret Madden PhD English Literature University of Edinburgh 2019 i DECLARATION I declare that this thesis has been composed solely by myself and that it has not been submitted, in whole or in part, in any previous application for a degree. Except where states otherwise by reference or acknowledgment, the work presented is entirely my own. Signed: Victoria M. Madden ii This page is intentionally left blank iii ABSTRACT This thesis examines the gothicisation of mental illness — specifically, disorders of personality — in American fiction, as illustrated through four popular novels written in the long 1950s. In so doing, this thesis aims to demystify not only the complex intersections between American history and literature, but also the nation’s ambivalent relationship with psychiatry and its fascination with psychological explanations for deviance and evil. While previous research has explored depictions of psychopathology in literature with limited scope, this thesis offers a detailed study of the ways in which contemporary history, popular culture, and concurrent psychiatric developments within the United States coalesce to shape depictions of personality disorder in fiction with particular consideration to the close-knit relationship between the American gothic and Freudianism and the implications of gender in post-war society. The first chapter explores national anxieties concerning communism and homosexuality, which converge in the figure of the sexual psychopath, embodied within Robert Bloch’s novel Psycho (1959) by the Bluebeardian figure of Norman Bates. The second chapter reads Shirley Jackson’s novel The Bird’s Nest (1954) against Corbett Thigpen and Hervey Cleckley’s psychiatric study The Three Faces of Eve (1957) in order to examine the symbiotic relationship between fictional gothic texts and contemporary psychiatric texts centring on what was previously termed multiple personality disorder. Both chapters find that the pervasive use of gothic language in contemporary psychiatric and cultural documents describing psychopathy and multiple personality disorder, respectively, underlines a lack of understanding concerning severe forms of mental illness, resulting in the marginalisation and villainization of those afflicted with disorders of personality. Chapter three examines the depiction of what might now be termed borderline personality disorder in Henry Farrell’s novel What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1960). This chapter argues that the novel’s subversion of the Bluebeard gothic offers a counternarrative to iv the classic Woman in Peril plot that nonetheless underscores the folly of patriarchal culture and concludes that texts like Baby Jane help to expose the gendered nature of concepts such as normality and deviance within western culture. Finally, chapter four analyses the depiction of child psychopathy in William March’s novel The Bad Seed (1954). This chapter finds that by focusing on the role of genetics in the formation of psychopathology, March’s novel poses a challenge to the dominant psychoanalytic framework of 1950s American psychiatry and exposes the gothic undercurrents of American suburban social structures. By studying these texts as a collection, this thesis confronts the driving factors behind why the gothic remains such an integral part of American culture at large. It ultimately concludes that a long history of female marginalization and androcentrism within both medical and popular culture continues to feed the gothicisation of mental illness within fiction of the United States. v LAY SUMMARY This thesis examines the ways in which mental illness and, specifically, disorders of personality, have been depicted as gothic in American fiction of the 1950s and early 1960s, leading to lasting misconceptions about the nature of psychological disorders. Using four popular American novels as examples, this thesis aims to interpret not only the complex intersections between American literature and history, but also the nation’s fraught relationship with psychiatry and its fascination with psychological explanations for deviance and evil. While previous research has explored depictions of complex mental illnesses in literature with limited scope, this thesis offers a detailed study of the ways in which contemporary history, popular culture, and concurrent psychiatric developments within the United States work together to shape depictions of personality disorder in fiction. Additionally, this study gives particular consideration to the close-knit relationship between the American gothic and Freudianism, as well as the implications of gender in post-war society. The first chapter explores national anxieties concerning communism and homosexuality, which converge in the figure of the sexual psychopath, embodied within Robert Bloch’s novel Psycho (1959) by the character Norman Bates. The second chapter reads Shirley Jackson’s novel The Bird’s Nest (1954) against Corbett Thigpen and Hervey Cleckley’s psychiatric study The Three Faces of Eve (1957) in order to examine the complex relationship between fictional gothic texts and contemporary psychiatric texts centring on what was previously termed multiple personality disorder. Both chapters find that the persistent use of gothic language in contemporary psychiatric and cultural documents describing psychopathy and multiple personality disorder, respectively, underlines a lack of understanding concerning severe forms of mental illness, resulting in the marginalisation and villainization of individuals afflicted with disorders of personality. vi Chapter three examines the depiction of what might now be termed borderline personality disorder in Henry Farrell’s novel What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1960). This chapter argues that the novel’s destabilisation of the subgenre known as the “Bluebeard gothic” offers a counternarrative to the classic Woman in Peril plot that nonetheless underscores the folly of male-dominated society. This chapter further concludes that texts like Baby Jane help to expose the gendered nature of concepts such as normality and deviance within western culture. Finally, chapter four analyses the depiction of child psychopathy and the treatment of motherhood in William March’s novel The Bad Seed (1954). This chapter finds that by focusing on the role of genetics in the formation of psychopathy, March’s novel poses a challenge to dominant psychoanalytic theories prevalent in 1950s American society while exposing the gothic undercurrents of American suburban social structures. By studying these texts as a collection, this thesis confronts the driving factors behind why the gothic remains such an integral part of American culture at large. It ultimately concludes that a long history of female marginalization and androcentrism within both medical and popular culture continues to feed the gothicisation of mental illness within fiction of the United States. vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not exist without the help of so many who supported me through turbulent times. While numerous people have had a hand in keeping me sane as I descended down the rabbit hole of gothic horror, I would like to thank the following individuals especially for their wisdom and guidance. First, my utmost gratitude goes to my supervisor, Ken Millard, for his unwavering belief in my abilities and continued trust that I would get him my next chapter “by Friday.” Knowing that someone has that much confidence in you is a heartening thing. Thanks also to Keith Hughes, my second supervisor, for his valuable feedback and continued enthusiasm for my project, and to Celeste-Marie Bernier, for providing a shoulder to lean on and copious chai tea lattes to soothe the soul. To my manager, Melissa Highton, and lovely colleagues at the Information Services Group, thank you for repeatedly extending my contract and for igniting in me a passion for Open Educational Resources and Wikipedia editing. Thanks also to my Womensplainers, Hetty Saunders, Anahit Behrooz, Bridget Moynihan, Niki Holzapfel, and Maria Torres-Quevedo, who have taught me so much about community, dedication, and drive, and especially to Robyn Pritzker (the other Mrs de Winter), Tess Goodman, Sarah Stewart, and Sibyl Adam for never letting me give up on myself. Special thanks also go to Anna Brand, Sarah Mitchell, Steph Kempton, Carolyn Lang, and Caitlin Stronach, friends I made at the start of my life here in Edinburgh, who continue to lift me up just as they have always done since I first arrived in this strange land a decade ago. And, of course,