HL8001: Madness in Literature and Film sem1AY2015-2016 Instructor: Michelle Chiang Meets

This course looks at the ways in which “madness” is presented and interpreted in selected literature and films from the late 19th century onwards. Through close reading of literary and visual narratives, students will consider how representations of mental illnesses are employed to critique aspects of society and challenge the audience member or reader’s habitual framework of understanding. The depicted mental illnesses in each work will be discussed in the contexts of existing constructs of reality; the representation of women; societal expectations; sexual transgressions, and the uses of technology.

Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar (1963), Perennial, 2005

J. G. Ballard, Crash (1973), with an introduction by Zadie Smith, Fourth Estate, 2014

Ian McEwan, Enduring Love (1997), Anchor Books, 1997

Antonin Artaud “To Have Done with the Judgment of God”, 1948

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”, 1892

Secondary texts available on edveNTUre:

Excerpts from:

Michel Foucault’s Madness & Civilization

RD Laing’s The Divided Self

Sigmund Freud’s “Lecture XXXI The Dissection of the Psychical Personality”
Films (available in Business Library)
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest directed by Miloš Forman (1975)

Breaking The Waves, directed by Lars von Trier (1996)

The Piano Teacher, directed by Michael Haneke (2001)

Spider, directed by David Cronenberg (2002)

Shutter Island, directed by Martin Scorsese (2010)
Course Assessment

Coursework Essay (750 – 1000 words): 50%

- Essays due on_______________. Late essays will be marked down.

Final Exam: 50%

- Students to answer 2 questions, one on a film, another on a written text.
*Plagiarism will not be tolerated & will result in automatic failure of the course.
Tentative Lecture Schedule (subject to change)

Week	Topics	Readings
1	Lecture 1: Introduction	Overview of excerpts from Michel Foucault’s Madness & Civilization, RD Laing’s The Divided Self, Sigmund Freud “Lecture XXXI The Dissection of the Psychical Personality”
2	Lecture 2: The Institution I	Film: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, directed by Milos Forman (1975)
3	Lecture 3: The Institution II	Radio play: Antonin Artaud’s ‘To Have Done with the Judgement of God’ (1948)
4	Lecture 4: Gender & Confinement I	Short Story: Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892)
5	Lecture 5: Gender & Confinement II	Novel: Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar (1963)
6	Lecture 6: Expectations & Repression	Film: The Piano Teacher (2001), directed by Michael Haneke
7	Lecture 7: Technology & Fetishism	Novel: J G Ballard, Crash (1973)
8	RECESS WEEK
9	Lecture 8: Reality as Construct	Novel: Ian McEwan, Enduring Love (1997)
10	Essay Workshop
11	Lecture 9: The Divided Self & Trauma	Film: Spider (2002), directed by David Cronenberg
12	Lecture 10: The Divided Self & Schizophrenia	Film: Shutter Island (2010), directed by Martin Scorsese
13	Lecture 11: Religion & Schizophrenia	Film: Breaking The Waves (1996), directed by Lars von Trier
14	Review: Q&A

*Please Note:

Students are only required to write their essays and exam papers based on the CORE TEXTS stipulated in the course syllabus. All SECONDARY TEXTS are meant for supplementary reading to help students gain more expansive knowledge on the subject material.