from a narrative about their actions. Greater
communication between herself and those around her
may have led Lady Audley’s associates to understand
her position as somebody with a disadvantaged
past. Even if this understanding was not gained, an
open dialogue would likely have prevented her from
resorting to such extreme measures in order to leave
her life of poverty behind her. In a similar way, gaining
understanding of people’s situations by listening
to their story instead of focusing on their actions
can help us to understand and prevent criminal
actions in future. In doing so, we will also be able
to differentiate between those who genuinely need
mental health support, and those whose actions are
the result of specific external influences, and can be
prevented through intervention and adaptation of
these situations.
As Lady Audley has taught us, it is not a person’s
actions which represent their state of mental health,
but the motivations which lie beneath the surface.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks must be given to Dr Jordan Kistler,
for always being available to listen to my thoughts
on Lady Audley; and for her recommendation of
The Woman in White (Collins, 2008) as a point of
comparison.
References
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Boyd, N. (2018). ‘Queercrip Temporality and the
Representation of Disability in Lady Audley’s Secret,’
Journal of Literary and Cultural Disability Studies,
12(4), pp. 407-422.
32
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by John Sutherland, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Matus, J. L. (1992). ‘Disclosure as “Cover-Up”: The
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Showalter, E. (1987). The Feminine Malady: Women,
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Steere, E. L. (2008). ‘“I THOUGHT YOU WAS AN EVIL
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Further Reading
Buckley, P.F; Hrouda, D.R; Friedman, L; Noffsinger,
S.G; Resnick, P.J, and Camlin-Shingler, K. (2004)
‘Insight and its Relationship to Violent Behaviour in
Patients with Schizophrenia,’ The American Journal of
Psychiatry, Vol 161(9), pp. 1712-1714
Pouncey, C.L. and Lukens, J.M. (2010). ‘Madness
versus Badness: The Ethical Tension between the