Document Type
Research Paper
Department/Program
Modern Languages & Literatures
Date
2025
Abstract
Excerpt from paper:
The media–whether it be books, television, or the news–is built upon narratives. From Disney movies about emotions to novels about enormous whales, each narrative is informed by a wide selection of tropes, otherwise defined as “common or recurring [themes] or [motifs] in a story or work of fiction” (Relojo-Howell). Contrary to popular belief, using tropes is not necessarily harmful. There is a reason that Shakespeare has had such a long-lasting impact on the world’s artistic memory: he wrote with tropes that resonated with his audience, appealing to basic human truths. For the same reason, countless subsequent artists have also used tropes that Shakespeare himself created in their works. What tropes often become, however, are shallow oversimplifications of complex social identities. Especially for historically marginalized groups, tropes can perpetuate incorrect and harmful beliefs and attitudes. Women are perhaps one of the most prevalent examples; they have long been persecuted, especially in regard to their reproductive choices. Through the weaponization of spinster tropes, specifically those of the “witch” and “cat lady,” the media and popular culture persecute women who fail to abide by the reproductive norms established by neoliberal, patriarchal society. As a result, this phenomenon reveals the unwillingness of society to allow women to maintain reproductive autonomy and the inherent danger involved in the overreliance on tropes.
Recommended Citation
O'Hair, Saoirse, "From Witches to Cat Ladies: An Analysis of Spinster Tropes and the Reproductive Mandate" (2025). Undergraduate Research Awards. 19.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/ugra/19
