The Aesthetic of Sadness in Women from Literature to Social Media

Abstract

This study explores how feminine sadness is turned into an aesthetic in both literature and social media, focusing on Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the Sad Girl trend on TikTok. Using a qualitative approach, textual analysis and digital media analysis, it examines how women’s emotional pain is often portrayed as beautiful and delicate rather than taken seriously. The study draws on theory of gender performitivity, affect theory, and media studies to understand how sadness becomes a performance shaped by gender norms and media culture. Through close reading of Ophelia’s character and analysis of TikTok/Instagram trends involving cry-makeup, sad captions, and soft visuals, the study highlights a continued pattern: sadness in women is not just felt but performed, rewarded, and consumed. The findings suggest that while social media offers space for emotional expression, it can also reinforce harmful beauty standards and emotional expectations, especially for young women.