Hannah Barnes Book order

The Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), based at the Tavistock and Portman Trust in North London, was set up initially to provide - for the most part - talking therapies to young people who were questioning their gender identity. But in the last decade GIDS has referred more than a thousand children, some as young as nine years old, for medication to block their puberty. In the same period, the number of referrals has exploded, increasing thirty-fold, while the profile of the patients has changed, from largely pre-pubescent boys to mostly adolescent girls, who are often contending with other difficulties

Focusing on the evolution of female identity, this analysis compares three key Gothic texts to explore women's journeys toward self-authorship and empowerment. By examining the experiences of both the authors—Radcliffe, Austen, and Bronte—and their fictional heroines, the work highlights the constraints imposed by a male-dominated literary tradition. It reveals how these women, through their narratives, challenge societal boundaries, gaining awareness and education to redefine their roles and assert their individuality.