francisco goya, “yard of madhouse,” 1794

Francisco Goya, “Yard of Madhouse,” 1794

疒Madness n.疯狂 , 疯 , 瘋 < 名 >疯 , 头病。—— 《集韵》瘫痪 [paralysis]癫狂 diānkuáng[manic depressive psychosis] [frivolous]癫痫 diānxián[epilepsy] “ 羊角风”癫子 diānzi[lunatic] [ 方 ]∶ 疯子疯癫 fēngdiān[insane]疯狗 fēnggǒu[mad dog; rabid dog]疯狂 fēngkuáng[insane]∶ 发疯 [desperate; frenzied;]∶疯人 fēngrén[lunatic; madman;]疯子 fēngzi[madman][lunatic]

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MMADNESS ADNESS ANDAND LLITERATUREITERATURE

GE4101

Semester A 2010/11

Dr. Birgit Linder (CTL)

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0S020wBB_FLwH8A_UGjzbkF/SIG=123pe4fme/EXP=1274173569/**http%3A//www.flickr.com/photos/lumase/1397540268/


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Madness and theories about madness have nourished literature and art from antiquity, and it has been looked upon as divine, inspired, and insightful, but also as aberrant, inhuman and irrational.

This course aims to challenge students to think anew about the psychological expressions of the human mind within various cultural contexts. It aims to engage students in a critical discussion about literary representations of madness and mental illness from historical, cross-cultural, and interdisciplinary perspectives.

“The Return of Dionysus”Elsie Russel, 1987Courtesy of parnasse.com



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Themes include cultural perceptions of madness, pre-modern representations in the Western and Chinese traditions, links between psychology and literature, religious guilt, creative genius, dissent, trauma, megalomania, women and madness, and mental illness (schizophrenia, depression, paranoia) in literature and film.

Student project for “Madness and Literature,” Skidmore College



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The course will be a semester-long thematic discussion about the ways in which madness is used in literature and film to express such prevalent topics as mental illness, creative genius, religious guilt, personal and historical trauma, dissent, the language of madness, and women and madness.

It enhances students’ abilities to reflect on important themes in the human experience and to develop intellectual skills to analyze its aesthetic expressions.

Giorgio de Chirico, 1914: Alluding to a reality beyond recognizable appearance. Courtesy of www.chron.com


http://www.csulb.edu/~karenk/20thcwebsite/438mid/ah438mid-Thumb.00008.html


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Through an inquiry into the historical changes in the treatment and perception of “madness,” mental illness, eccentricity, and dissent in the West and China.

This will challenge students to think critically about paradigmatic shifts and the dynamic relationship between history and cultural expressions.



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A general theoretical framework enhances students’ ability to apply theories and critical perspectives from the fields of literature, (cross-cultural) psychology, cultural studies, medicine, and history.

It also engages students in thinking creatively about the relationship between text and context, and how a literary theme reflects upon cultural and social values of individuals and society.



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SAMPLE READING LIST:

Roy Porter, Madness: A Short History

Michel Foucault, Madness and Civilization

Euripides, The Bacchants (Dionysus) (excerpts)

Shakespeare, King Lear

Lu Xun, “Diary of a Madman”

Franz Kafka, “Metamorphosis”

Yu Hua, “The Past and The Punishments”

Charlotte Perkins-Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper”

Indexfinger, “Poems from the Mental Ward”

Anne Rule, The Stranger Beside Me

Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

All reading materials are in English and/or in English translation, and all films, if in a language other than English, have English subtitles

Lu Xun, “Diary of a Madman” woodcut


疒Madness n.疯狂 , 疯 , 瘋 < 名>疯 , 头病。—— 《集韵》瘫痪 [paralysis]癫狂 diānkuáng[manic depressive psychosis] [frivolous]癫痫 diānxián[epilepsy] “ 羊角风”癫子 diānzi[lunatic] [ 方 ]∶ 疯子疯癫 fēngdiān[insane]疯狗 fēnggǒu[mad dog; rabid dog]疯狂 fēngkuáng[insane]∶ 发疯 [desperate; frenzied;]∶疯人 fēngrén[lunatic; madman;]疯子 fēngzi[madman][lunatic]

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SAMPLE FILM LIST: Depression: “Red Beads” (China) Schizophrenia: “Sons” (China) Retardation: “Mama” (China) and “Shower” Schizophrenia: “White Noise” (“Das weisse Rauschen”)Institution: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (USA)

Madness and Creativity: “Frozen” (China)

Drugs: “Quitting” (China)

Megalomania: “The Wave” (Germany)

“Quitting” by Zhang Yang

Wat

ch a

clip

Watch trailer

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/sep/16/trailerpark.worldcinema


http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/256987/Quitting/trailers


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COURSE INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Develop an understanding of madness as an aesthetic, literary, psychological, and social concept.

Apply inquiry techniques and analytical skills to a variety of Western and Chinese literary texts and films.

Reflect on the diversity of personal, cultural, and social human experiences and make intelligent connections between texts and cultures.

Appreciate the social and historical changes that are reflected in the materials.

Acquire skills for cross-cultural and literary analysis that are applicable to other themes and enquiries.

Apply acquired knowledge to a complex text.


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TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVTIES

Lectures to introduce essential concepts and theories, supplemented by student research on specific topics to acquire broader knowledge.

Minute papers, mind maps, games, discussions, multi-media presentations

Group discussions based on weekly guided reading questions to enhance communication skills and critical thinking.

Multi-media presentations, short reflective writing to present knowledge intelligently.

Research a text, author, or film not covered in the required readings.

A final group project in which students should express the theme of madness in a novel of their choice in a creative way.


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O, matter and impertinency mixed! Reason in madness!

William Shakespeare “King Lear”

Act 4:4

William Shakespeare “King Lear”

Act 4:4

francisco goya, “yard of madhouse,” 1794

Documents

perception of madness

language of madness

mental illness schizophrenia

cultural expressions

historical trauma

students abilities

creative genius

religious guilt