Madness in Literature

Catalog description

This course examines how madness, broadly defined, has been depicted in literature, using works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from various historical periods. We will critically examine how madness is both a recognizable clinical entity and a social construction, and how literary works have effectively shaped our understanding of it. We will look at the changing conceptions of madness in literature, the historical, cultural, and medico-legal contexts that influenced those changes, and, in short, try to make some sense of madness by understanding how it was perceived by writers old and new. Through class discussion and scaffolded writing assignments (including multiple drafts, peer reviews, and workshops) we will examine both the production and reception of the literature of madness, focusing on how notable texts about madness were produced and received, the connection between creativity and madness, and the diversity of human experiences when it comes to the spectrum of mental health. We will explore a variety of genres (play, poetry, short story, novel, memoir, case study) by diverse authors ranging from ancient to contemporary.