Madness in Twentieth Century Literature (U03274)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : LLC-4-U03274

Students of literature often encounter texts which represent madness, are invited to read texts using theories developed by psychoanalysts, and frequently associate literary creativity with mental instability. Advanced students of literature may therefore wish to investigate further the place of madness within literary studies. This course offers twentieth-century texts in various genres and introduces a number of different theoretical perspectives on madness.

Entry Requirements

? This course is not available to visting students.

? Pre-requisites : Passes in English or Scottish 1 and English or Scottish or American Literature 2, with a mark of 50 or above at the first attempt in the second year course. Passes in third year courses in the subject area amounting to at least 40 credits.

? Special Arrangements for Entry : Numbers are limited and students taking degrees not involving English or Scottish or American literature need the written approval of the head of English Literature.

? Costs : Essential Course Texts

Subject Areas

Home subject area

English Literature, (School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, Schedule G)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : To be arranged/Unknown

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

? Other Required Attendance : 1 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the course should be able to
1) relate representations of madness in fiction, biography, poetry, and drama to specific topics in twentieth-century history such as a) war experience, b) feminism, c) sexuality, d) psychiatric medicine, e) postmodern or consumer society

2) critically assess relationships between madness and creativity

3) understand what each genre (fiction, biography, poetry, drama) contributes to its representation of madness

4) understand the literary representation of madness in relation to various possible theories of madness, such as a) social constructionism, b) existentialism and phenomenology, c) psychoanalysis, d) social anthropology

5) explain what role literature has played in twentieth-century conceptualisations of madness