‘Wayward Sisters’: Demonological femininity, representation, and women’s voice in eighteenth-century literature.

The connection between demonology and femininity in early modern contexts is one which has been critically explored, particularly through connections of motherhood, the transformative female body, and women’s vulnerability to sin. However, reading the woman in light of these connections as an ongoing relationship, particularly with that of the witch, has often been overlooked. This paper will examine how exploring the relationship between the witch figure and women’s representation in eighteenth-century literature can unearth alternative readings of women’s characters and narratives. Lady Macbeth’s character provides a popular example of demonological femininity; as such, her character will be used to express how the language of witchcraft can reframe readings of women’s representation in literature. Furthermore, I will argue that the language of the witch expresses anxieties surrounding the female body and women’s autonomy and power, these connections continuing to hold relevance in eighteenth-century contexts. The continued relevance of the witch image in eighteenth-century literature will be considered through an analysis of how witchcraft language is used to describe women in examples such as Samuel Richardson’s 1740 novel Pamela. Within this, I will consider how women’s identities are often formed through the voices of the men who perceive and interpret them, rather than the women themselves. Through a discussion of demonological femininity, women’s representation, and women’s voice, I propose that connections between witchcraft and womanhood can bring to light new and alternative ways to read women in eighteenth-century literature that has the potential to describe a female heritage of persecution, silencing, and defiance.