The discourse of ‘The Madman’ and insanity has found its way into literature since ancient times. Society’s ambiguous relationship with the abnormal, oscillating between fascination and fear, has ever since been an integral part of fiction.
This course examines madness as a theme in Anglophone literature and introduces the students to a range of eminent contemporary writers. The analysis of the fictional representation of insanity and how it is mirrored in the literary form constitutes the core of this seminar.
We will examine the portrayal of ‘madness’, query its construction and challenge underlying philosophical, psychological and cultural assumptions about ‘the madman’. Furthermore, we will familiarize ourselves with a range of narratological methods and techniques to supplement our discussion of plot and content.
A reader with a variety of seminal theoretical texts will be made available.
Please purchase a copy of:
- Patrick McGrath 'Spider' (to be read prior to class)
- Ian McEwan 'Enduring Love'
- Sylvia Plath 'The Bell Jar'
- (Thomas Pynchon 'The Crying of Lot 49')
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