This collection explores representations of "evil" women in history, art, and literature. When women perpetrate violence or defy cultural norms, explanations for this transgression of gender roles often rely upon culturally specific understandings of "evil." Here, an assemblage of international scholars examine this label in various texts and contexts.
This edited collection examines gendered representations of "evil" in history, the arts, and literature. Scholars often explore the relationships between gender, sex, and violence through theories of inequality, violence against women, and female victimization, but what happens when women are the perpetrators of violent or harmful behavior? How do we define "evil"? What makes evil men seem different from evil women? When women commit acts of violence or harmful behavior, how are they represented differently from men? How do perceptions of class, race, and age influence these representations? How have these representations changed over time, and why? What purposes have gendered representations of evil served in culture and history? What is the relationship between gender, punishment of evil behavior, and equality?
