Murder, mental illness, trauma, doctors, and psychiatrist: have you ever wondered what was to become of people who have experienced these? In life so many things can arise and cause detours and permanent changes in our lives. In this some of those changes turn out to be a momentous and creative imprint left for the survivor to use. Literature on mental health and illness, although a new class, leaves one wondering, what exactly does mental health and illness have to do anything with the overall learning of literature? Many people do not understand that literature goes hand and hand when dealing with illness or trauma. Entering into this course leaves your mind open, because it is allowing you to look at literature through a new perspective.
My expectation upon entering into this class was basically nothing. This class basically left me wondering and wanting to know what this is all about. There are so many people who write literature and many of them are brilliant, and we study them throughout our collegiate careers. So I came in as an open book ready to learn the new aspects of literature. I must admit, that in the beginning of the class, it started a little slow because it was laying the ground work for the class. Once the foundation was laid, I was able to gain quite a bit from the class. I believe that there were special times that really drove the course home. Mental illness and trauma affects many and the in-class speakers really helped show how literature can be developed from trauma or mental illness.
The Wounded Storyteller was one of the first texts that we read and this helped lay the bricks of the course. Some of the bricks are embodiment, narrative surrender, reader as a witness, and narrative imperative. These bricks are all so much clearer to me now. To look at writers and poets, such as Shakespeare, Giovanni Boccaccio, Dannie Abse, and others, and actually see that trauma and illness is completely different than the typical literature class. Truly I can say that Shakespeare’s “Rape of Lucrece” was really an eye opener to the class because the poem actually touched on the character’s embodiment of her trauma, the reader witnessing her trauma, and the narrative imperative. Although these may be unfamiliar concepts to you, however they will become clearer by the conclusion of the class. These are some of the things that will continue to thrive throughout the class. The class actually has a progressive feel because it starts off in Shakespearean era and ends in the present day with authors who are actually in the medical field.
Literature of Illness and Trauma is a class that will reach many that are entering in to the medical fields and even those who are entering into psychology and fields of that nature. It would even go as far as to reach out to students in the pedagogy field because teachers deal with so many children from different backgrounds and, knowing what some children could possibly deal with, a teacher would be better equipped to enhance the child’s growth. Literature of Illness and Trauma is much more than a course name. It will open the mind to various levels of consciousness.
My expectation upon entering into this class was basically nothing. This class basically left me wondering and wanting to know what this is all about. There are so many people who write literature and many of them are brilliant, and we study them throughout our collegiate careers. So I came in as an open book ready to learn the new aspects of literature. I must admit, that in the beginning of the class, it started a little slow because it was laying the ground work for the class. Once the foundation was laid, I was able to gain quite a bit from the class. I believe that there were special times that really drove the course home. Mental illness and trauma affects many and the in-class speakers really helped show how literature can be developed from trauma or mental illness.
The Wounded Storyteller was one of the first texts that we read and this helped lay the bricks of the course. Some of the bricks are embodiment, narrative surrender, reader as a witness, and narrative imperative. These bricks are all so much clearer to me now. To look at writers and poets, such as Shakespeare, Giovanni Boccaccio, Dannie Abse, and others, and actually see that trauma and illness is completely different than the typical literature class. Truly I can say that Shakespeare’s “Rape of Lucrece” was really an eye opener to the class because the poem actually touched on the character’s embodiment of her trauma, the reader witnessing her trauma, and the narrative imperative. Although these may be unfamiliar concepts to you, however they will become clearer by the conclusion of the class. These are some of the things that will continue to thrive throughout the class. The class actually has a progressive feel because it starts off in Shakespearean era and ends in the present day with authors who are actually in the medical field.
Literature of Illness and Trauma is a class that will reach many that are entering in to the medical fields and even those who are entering into psychology and fields of that nature. It would even go as far as to reach out to students in the pedagogy field because teachers deal with so many children from different backgrounds and, knowing what some children could possibly deal with, a teacher would be better equipped to enhance the child’s growth. Literature of Illness and Trauma is much more than a course name. It will open the mind to various levels of consciousness.