Margery Kempe and Mental Illness - 2438 Words

Margery Kempe: mother, mystic, mentally ill? Throughout The Book of Margery Kempe, Margery is burdened with the gift of tears. To onlookers, her behaviour seems erratic and threatening; strangers and acquaintances often wonder if devils possessing her cause her passionate wailing. Margery is often questioned about her tears, and isolated from people who fail to understand that she is one of Christ’s â€Å"chosen souls† (24). Margery sees these social difficulties as trials of her faith, and says, â€Å"For ever the more slander and reproof that she suffered, the more she increased in grace and in devotion of holy meditation† (Kempe 4). Even when her community berates her, she maintains that her tears are a gift and a form of penance, that her†¦show more content†¦Margery does not believe for a moment that she is ill; she only ever considers her experiences to be the work of God or of devils. Because her post-partum depression it is such a negative experi ence, she accepts that it must be the work of devils. We know now that stressful events such as childbirth can bring on the symptoms of various mental illnesses (Gray 587), and we also know that having one mental illness can increase likelihood of having another (Mental Illness). Therefore, it is possible that Margery’s post-partum depression opened the door to symptoms of other disorders, such as hallucinations. Margery, at the end of her depression, sees a vision of Christ, after which she is â€Å"as stabled in her wits and reason as ever she was before† (Kempe 8). If Margery was indeed suffering from post-partum depression, it is unlikely that she recovered as quickly as she describes. It is more likely that she had been slowly recovering and the vision acted as a sort of catalyst, causing her to realize her improvement. She may have gained a sense of optimism from the vision; it has been proven with various diseases that those with an optimistic outlook on recover y tend to recover better and more quickly than those who have a more pessimistic view (Repper 52). If the vision is a hallucination, it is interesting that the onset of new psychotic symptoms cure her of her depression. IShow MoreRelatedPostpartum Depression : A Severe Psychotic Syndrome1284 Words   |  6 Pagesdepression is a more common and less threatening mental illness than postpartum psychosis, however, Margery Kempe displays the more fatal symptoms. Several readers believe that Margery Kempe was a woman who devoted her life to God, however, after her first child was born Margery Kempe was recognizably sick and continued these symptoms throughout the entire book. In The Book of Margery Kempe, the first autobiography in the English Language, Margery Kempe displays the symptoms of hallucinations, cryingRead MorePostpartum Depression : A Severe Psychotic Syndrome1384 Words   |  6 PagesOlfson 800). Postpartum depression is a further common mental illness than postpartum psyc hosis, however Margery Kempe displays serious symptoms. Several readers believe that Margery Kempe was a woman who devoted her life to God, however, after her first child was born Margery Kempe was recognizably sick due to the feelings that she should not live. In The Book of Margery Kempe, the first autobiography in the English Language, Margery Kempe displays the symptoms of hallucinations, crying episodesRead MoreThe Book Of Margery Kempe ( Bmk )1863 Words   |  8 PagesThe Book of Margery Kempe (BMK), records the latter portion of Margery Kempe’s life as she has visions of Christ and struggles with the inevitable backlash of the clergy. Questions of her authority are brought up within the text as Margery is repeatedly arrested on counts of heresy and lollardy. While these sentiments are expressed in the text, her authority is also questioned by many readers and scholars. It has become common for modern scholars to dismiss Margery as another mystic less noteworthyRead Mo reWomen Of The Medieval Times1865 Words   |  8 Pagesintimacy, childbirth and household responsibilities were thrust upon them by the elder family members and the men that became their husbands. How did these women survive? Did the hardships inflicted on them day after day on a continuous basis lead to mental illness or a religious awakening? Perhaps the women of the Medieval Times were more intelligent and capable than one was lead to believe. What lengths would a person go through in order to survive an unbearable situation? Did the women of the Medieval