They wouldn't know mad when they saw it in any case, because a good portion of the women in the Asylum were no madder than the Queen of England. Many were sane enough when sober, as their madness came out of a bottle, which is a kind I knew very well. One of them was in there to get away from her husband, who beat her black and blue, he was the mad one but nobody would lock him up;
The quote reflects an ironic perspective on madness, suggesting that many women in the asylum were not truly insane but rather victims of their circumstances. The narrator implies that societal norms often mislabel individuals, particularly women, as mad when their behavior may stem from external abuse or societal pressures. The comparison to the Queen of England highlights the absurdity of labeling people as mad based on their experiences and situations.
Furthermore, the narrator alludes to the influence of alcohol on mental health, indicating that some women's struggles are tied to substance abuse rather than inherent madness. This underscores the idea that madness can be a symptom of deeper issues, such as domestic violence or societal neglect, while the actual perpetrators often escape scrutiny. Hence, the passage critiques the societal tendency to overlook the real causes of madness, focusing instead on appearances and stigmatization.
