This course explores the relationship between literature and mental health. We will read literary texts that introduce students to psychical life, inviting them to think about questions such as: how is the process of reading literature vital to mental health? How do representations of mental health shift across time and genre? What is the role of narrative in building our tolerance for a life of deferral, ambiguity, frustration, and loss? Assigned texts will range from drama, the essay (theoretical, literary, and personal), as well as long and short fiction. The course will provide language to help students think about the relationship between inner life and external conditions. We will contemplate what both madness and its antithesis may be. Students will also have the opportunity to process these ideas through written assignments. The goal for course participants would be to find enjoyment in the collective journey of slow and difficult thinking.
Assessment
- Introduction (opening reflection) and Conclusion (the so-what reflection) (15%)
- Close Reading paragraphs (15%)
- Attendance and participation (15%)
- Term Paper (1000 words) (30% )
- Final Exam (25%)
**Subject to change**
Additional information
Exclusion Maximum of 6.0 units of ENGL at the 100-level
