Critical Reflection V

After receiving my second draft of my research paper, the main comment I received was to broaden my searches and find more sources because I relied heavily on one very good source, a book called The Female Malady by Elaine Showalter. Although the book had quite a bit of useful information, I need to find more scholarly sources that are more in-depth with the topic of female lunacy in the 19th century. My professor also commented that I need to bring in more sources that look into Victorian domesticity and the oppression of women. She gave me the names of a few articles and books that will be beneficial to how women were viewed in the 19th century and the sexual deviance women started to experience as they grew more independent. I realize that I need to do more research on this sexual deviance because I briefly mentioned it in my essay, but I could really build on it and explore why women were becoming independent and how it affected their sexuality. Another comment I received was to quote more from my story of Nellie Bly,  the female journalist who faked lunacy to see what living in an insane asylum was like. I briefly went through her book and told of her experience in the madhouse, but I failed to quote enough and connect the information back to my original thesis. My professor gave me examples of how I can connect Bly's story and my thesis by looking into gender roles and oppression and using this information to prove my thesis. I realize that I could expand more on how Nellie's story speaks to the rise of the Victorian madwoman. This part of my essay is the section that needs the most revising because I didn't quote enough from Bly's book and I need to edit some parts out or add some new ideas in to the section. Overall, the comments I received were wonderful to hear because I had been struggling with how to tie in Bly's story and my professor has given me a few ideas and more sources that could help me do that. An idea that I never thought of but received in a comment was the fact that I need to historicize Bly more instead of directly relying on her one story. It would be great in my paper to use other sources that provide context for her "stunt" and use those to not only show the rise of the Victorian madwoman, but also the rise of the independent woman who didn't necessarily follow all of the social norms and rules. 

Two goals that were highlighted for my research essay was to understand and consider multiple perspectives and identify bias along with distinguishing between "reporting on" or regurgitating information and taking a position and supporting it using source material. This makes complete sense because my paper seems to only be taking one side when looking into why there was a rise in the Victorian madwoman. I know that I need to find a few more sources that will counter what I have used as examples and arguments in my essay and use theses sources to show that there are two different sides that can be taken. The second goal makes sense to me too because I realize that I need to take a position and support it by using source material along with taking more of a perspective of my sources. I also know that I have really relied on regurgitating information but not supporting it and taking a position. I think that I need to find more sources to fulfill these goals and really take a side that can support my thesis. The main problem in my paper is the lack of argument and I'm hoping to find a few more articles that can help me pose two sides to my thesis.