“No one likes a mad woman – you made her like that”
The above statement is extracted from the lyric of the song ‘Mad Woman’ written by Taylor Swift.
By saying “You made her like that,” Swift is pointing the finger back at the system. She is saying: My ‘messiness’ isn’t a personality flaw,
IT’S A REACTION OF YOUR OPPRESSION.
For centuries, society has handed women an unwritten manual on how to exist:
be agreeable, be composed, and above all, be ‘SANE.’ However, this standard of ‘sanity’ is often defined by how little a woman inconveniences the world around her. When a woman faces inequality, harassment, or a glass ceiling, her natural reaction is often one of frustration or rage. Yet, the moment she expresses that reaction, the system shifts the focus away from the cause and onto her character.
An angry man is frequently perceived as “passionate” or a strong “leader”, traits often celebrated in leadership and assertiveness. In stark contrast, when a woman manifests anger, society typically categorizes her as “hysterical” or “unstable”, diminishing her credibility and authority.
And that’s where the trap snaps shut — the Double Bind of womanhood.
If she stays silent, her voice is erased. If she speaks with emotion, her words are dismissed as madness. Either way, the system ensures her point is undermined.
This paradox forces women into an impossible choice: conform to expectations of composure and risk invisibility, or break those expectations and risk ridicule. The Double Bind is not just a personal struggle; it is a structural mechanism that keeps women palatable under the Male Gaze, demanding that they never cause discomfort, never disrupt, never be “too much.”
Labeling a woman as ‘mad’ is a convenient way to avoid addressing the reasons why she is angry. It is a form of social gaslighting. When we focus on a woman’s ‘attitude’ rather than her argument, we effectively strip her of her voice.
This creates a trap where women are forced to choose between staying silent under pressure or being dismissed for speaking up.
The ‘mad woman’ is not born; she is CREATED by a set of expectations that demand perfection while offering no support.
In the heart of Awadh, where the rich culture of tehzeeb (etiquette) is highly valued and ingrained in everyday life, the expectations placed on women to embody grace and politeness intensify considerably.
At the University of Lucknow, a female student navigates a challenging landscape where she is expected to excel academically while simultaneously conforming to traditional standards of social behavior that often require her to be submissive.
This delicate balancing act becomes especially fraught when she chooses to advocate for crucial issues, such as enhanced safety measures on campus. Her attempts to bring attention to these concerns, or to voice her dissent against outdated attitudes in seminar discussions, place her at risk of being branded as ‘problematic’ or confrontational.
However, what is often labeled as ‘problematic’ is, in reality, a legitimate reaction to an entrenched system that does not prioritize listening to her perspective or acknowledging her experiences.
In a society that struggles to adapt, this courageous outspokenness is not just a breach of expected decorum but a necessary call for change.
For over a century, this institution has been a witness to WOMEN WHO REFUSED TO BE SILENCED. From the early pioneers who entered these classrooms when female education was still a ‘radical’ idea, to the students today who lead protests and debates, LU has always been a breeding ground for women who chose to be ‘difficult’ rather than ‘invisible’.
Ultimately, the fight for equality is not a fight for women to be ‘superior’ or ‘perfect’.
It is a fight for them to be human.
To be human is to be flawed, to be inconsistent, and at times, to be ‘mad’.
By holding women to an impossible standard of emotional perfection, we deny them the full range of the human experience. A woman should be able to lead, to create, and to live without the constant fear that one mistake or one display of emotion will disqualify her from being respected.
The University should be more than just a place to earn a degree.
It should be a space where a woman has the right to be human.
It should be a place where an LU women can experiment, fail, be messy, and most of all, find her voice without the fear of being judged by the narrow standards of ‘proper’ behavior.
True empowerment at Lucknow University isn’t just about graduating toppers, it’s about creating an atmosphere where every woman feels entitled to her own space, her own anger, and her own truth.
We have spent too long trying to be the ‘sweetheart’ of the campus and the ‘saint’ of the system. But as the echoes of the ‘Mad Woman’ remind us, those roles were never designed for our benefit; they were designed for our silence.
The University of Lucknow has always been a place of intellectual awakening; let this be our emotional awakening, too. No more pedestals. No more airbrushed lives.
Let us be MESSY, let us be LOUD, and let us be REAL.
If the world isn’t ready for the women of LU to be fully human, then that is the world’s problem – not ours.
Ultimately, Taylor Swift’s ‘Mad Woman’ is a mirror reflecting the cracks in our own social attitudes. By reclaiming the right to be ‘messy’ and ‘imperfect,’ we dismantle the pedestal that has kept women trapped for far too long.
No one is perfect, and no woman should have to be.
As we close this chapter and step into the world beyond the University gate, let us remember: we don’t need more ‘perfect’ women. We need more women who are brave enough to be exactly who they are, regardless of who is rooting for the ‘anti-hero’.