HD 4770 - Psychopathology in Great Works of Literature

(SBA-HE)

Spring. 3 credits. Student option grading.

Prerequisite: HD 1150 or introduction to psychology. Enrollment limited to: seniors, juniors, and graduate students. Co-meets with HD 6710.

J. Mendle.

This course will explore psychopathology by pairing literary descriptions of common disorders with psychological research. By examining mental illness through the lens of popular writing, we will explore the shifting cultural understanding and interpretations for disorders. We will also explore how writers’ accounts of mental illness adhere (purposely or not) to DSM diagnostic criteria and empirically validated research. Authors include William Shakespeare, Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, William Styron, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Eugene O’Neill, and John Updike.