Alienated Heroines in Basil, Lady Audley's Secret, and East Lynne: A Jaeggian Reading.

This article examines the depiction of alienation in three mid-Victorian sensation novels—*Lady Audley's Secret* (1862) by M. E. Braddon, *East Lynne* (1861) by Mrs Henry Wood, and *Basil* (1852) by Wilkie Collins—using contemporary philosopher Rahel Jaeggi's concept of alienation as a deficient relation of "appropriation," meaning the ability to take oneself and one's world at one's own command. The analysis reveals that the heroines' troubled desires for material possessions are structurally linked to their problematic relationships with themselves and others, reflecting their failure to fully embrace the social roles and values associated with ownership. While Margaret Sherwin exemplifies alienation through superficial ownership without identification, Lady Audley becomes rigidified in role-playing, and Lady Isabel Vane experiences powerlessness in adapting to shifting social roles. The article argues that these narratives highlight the ideological function of sensation fiction in portraying the limited social roles and precarious material status of ambitious Victorian women, illustrating how alienation arises from both psychological and material dispossession.