疒
Mad-文
MADNESS
AND
LITERATURE
nEss学
Madness n.
疯狂, 疯, 瘋 <名>
疯, 头病。—— 《集韵》
瘫痪 [paralysis]
癫狂 diānkuáng
[manic depressive
psychosis]
[frivolous]
癫痫 diānxián
[epilepsy] “羊角风”
癫子 diānzi
[lunatic] [方]∶ 疯子
疯癫 fēngdiān
[insane]
疯狗fēnggǒu
[mad dog; rabid dog]
疯狂 fēngkuáng
[insane]∶发疯
[desperate; frenzied;]∶
疯人 fēngrén
[lunatic; madman;]
疯子 fēngzi
[madman]
[lunatic]
GE4101
Semester A 2010/11
Dr. Birgit Linder (CTL)
Francisco Goya,
“Yard of Madhouse,” 1794
疒
Mad-文
nEss学
Madness n.
疯狂, 疯, 瘋 <名>
疯, 头病。—— 《集韵》
瘫痪 [paralysis]
癫狂 diānkuáng
[manic depressive
psychosis]
[frivolous]
癫痫 diānxián
[epilepsy] “羊角风”
癫子 diānzi
[lunatic] [方]∶ 疯子
疯癫 fēngdiān
[insane]
疯狗fēnggǒu
[mad dog; rabid dog]
疯狂 fēngkuáng
[insane]∶发疯
[desperate; frenzied;]∶
疯人 fēngrén
[lunatic; madman;]
疯子 fēngzi
[madman]
[lunatic]
MADNESS
AND
LITERATURE
Madness and theories about madness have nourished
literature and art from
antiquity, and it has been
looked upon as divine,
inspired, and insightful,
but also as aberrant,
inhuman and irrational.
“The Return of Dionysus”
Elsie Russel, 1987
Courtesy of parnasse.com
This course aims to challenge students to think anew about
the psychological expressions of the human mind within
various cultural contexts. It aims to engage students in a
critical discussion about literary representations of
madness and mental illness from historical, cross-cultural,
and interdisciplinary perspectives.
疒
Mad-文
MADNESS
AND
LITERATURE
nEss学
Madness n.
疯狂, 疯, 瘋 <名>
疯, 头病。—— 《集韵》
瘫痪 [paralysis]
癫狂 diānkuáng
[manic depressive
psychosis]
[frivolous]
癫痫 diānxián
[epilepsy] “羊角风”
癫子 diānzi
[lunatic] [方]∶ 疯子
疯癫 fēngdiān
[insane]
疯狗fēnggǒu
[mad dog; rabid dog]
疯狂 fēngkuáng
[insane]∶发疯
[desperate; frenzied;]∶
疯人 fēngrén
[lunatic; madman;]
疯子 fēngzi
[madman]
[lunatic]
Student project for
“Madness and Literature,”
Skidmore College
Themes include cultural perceptions of madness, pre-modern
representations in the Western and Chinese traditions, links
between psychology and literature, religious guilt, creative genius,
dissent, trauma, megalomania, women and madness, and mental
illness (schizophrenia, depression, paranoia) in literature and film.
疒
Mad-文
MADNESS
AND
nEss学
Madness n.
疯狂, 疯, 瘋 <名>
疯, 头病。—— 《集韵》
瘫痪 [paralysis]
癫狂 diānkuáng
[manic depressive
psychosis]
[frivolous]
癫痫 diānxián
[epilepsy] “羊角风”
癫子 diānzi
[lunatic] [方]∶ 疯子
疯癫 fēngdiān
[insane]
疯狗fēnggǒu
[mad dog; rabid dog]
疯狂 fēngkuáng
[insane]∶发疯
[desperate; frenzied;]∶
疯人 fēngrén
[lunatic; madman;]
疯子 fēngzi
[madman]
[lunatic]
LITERATURE
The course will be a
semester-long
thematic
discussion about the ways
in which madness is used
in literature and film to
express such prevalent
topics as mental illness,
creative genius, religious
guilt,
personal
and
historical trauma, dissent,
the language of madness,
and women and madness.
Giorgio de Chirico, 1914: Alluding to a reality beyond
recognizable appearance.
Courtesy of www.chron.com
It
enhances students’
abilities to reflect on
important themes in the
human experience and to
develop intellectual skills
to analyze its aesthetic
expressions.
疒
Mad-文
MADNESS
AND
LITERATURE
nEss学
Madness n.
疯狂, 疯, 瘋 <名>
疯, 头病。—— 《集韵》
瘫痪 [paralysis]
癫狂 diānkuáng
[manic depressive
psychosis]
[frivolous]
癫痫 diānxián
[epilepsy] “羊角风”
癫子 diānzi
[lunatic] [方]∶ 疯子
疯癫 fēngdiān
[insane]
疯狗fēnggǒu
[mad dog; rabid dog]
疯狂 fēngkuáng
[insane]∶发疯
[desperate; frenzied;]∶
疯人 fēngrén
[lunatic; madman;]
疯子 fēngzi
[madman]
[lunatic]
Through an inquiry into the historical changes in the
treatment and perception of “madness,” mental illness,
eccentricity, and dissent in the West and China.
This will challenge students to think critically about
paradigmatic shifts and the dynamic relationship
between history and cultural expressions.
疒
Mad-文
MADNESS
AND
LITERATURE
nEss学
Madness n.
疯狂, 疯, 瘋 <名>
疯, 头病。—— 《集韵》
瘫痪 [paralysis]
癫狂 diānkuáng
[manic depressive
psychosis]
[frivolous]
癫痫 diānxián
[epilepsy] “羊角风”
癫子 diānzi
[lunatic] [方]∶ 疯子
疯癫 fēngdiān
[insane]
疯狗fēnggǒu
[mad dog; rabid dog]
疯狂 fēngkuáng
[insane]∶发疯
[desperate; frenzied;]∶
疯人 fēngrén
[lunatic; madman;]
疯子 fēngzi
[madman]
[lunatic]
A general theoretical
framework
enhances
students’ ability to apply
theories and critical
perspectives from the
fields
of
literature,
(cross-cultural)
psychology,
cultural
studies, medicine, and
history.
It also engages students in thinking creatively about the
relationship between text and context, and how a literary theme
reflects upon cultural and social values of individuals and society.
疒
Mad-文
MADNESS
nEss学
Madness n.
疯狂, 疯, 瘋 <名>
疯, 头病。—— 《集韵》
瘫痪 [paralysis]
癫狂 diānkuáng
[manic depressive
psychosis]
[frivolous]
癫痫 diānxián
[epilepsy] “羊角风”
癫子 diānzi
[lunatic] [方]∶ 疯子
疯癫 fēngdiān
[insane]
疯狗fēnggǒu
[mad dog; rabid dog]
疯狂 fēngkuáng
[insane]∶发疯
[desperate; frenzied;]∶
疯人 fēngrén
[lunatic; madman;]
疯子 fēngzi
[madman]
[lunatic]
AND
LITERATURE
SAMPLE READING LIST:
Roy Porter, Madness: A Short History
Michel Foucault, Madness and Civilization
Euripides, The Bacchants (Dionysus) (excerpts)
Shakespeare, King Lear
Lu Xun, “Diary of a Madman”
Franz Kafka, “Metamorphosis”
Yu Hua, “The Past and The Punishments”
Charlotte Perkins-Gilman, “The Yellow
Wallpaper”
Indexfinger, “Poems from the Mental Ward”
Anne Rule, The Stranger Beside Me
Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
Lu Xun, “Diary of a Madman” woodcut
All reading materials are in English and/or in English translation, and all films, if in a
language other than English, have English subtitles
疒
Mad-文
MADNESS
AND
LITERATURE
nEss学
Madness n.
疯狂, 疯, 瘋 <名>
疯, 头病。—— 《集韵》
瘫痪 [paralysis]
癫狂 diānkuáng
[manic depressive
psychosis]
[frivolous]
癫痫 diānxián
[epilepsy] “羊角风”
癫子 diānzi
[lunatic] [方]∶ 疯子
疯癫 fēngdiān
[insane]
疯狗fēnggǒu
[mad dog; rabid dog]
疯狂 fēngkuáng
[insane]∶发疯
[desperate; frenzied;]∶
疯人 fēngrén
[lunatic; madman;]
疯子 fēngzi
[madman]
[lunatic]
“Quitting” by
Zhang Yang
SAMPLE FILM LIST:
Depression: “Red Beads” (China)
Schizophrenia: “Sons” (China)
Retardation: “Mama” (China) and “Shower”
Schizophrenia: “White Noise” (“Das weisse Rauschen”)
Institution: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (USA)
Madness and Creativity: “Frozen” (China)
Drugs: “Quitting” (China)
Megalomania: “The Wave” (Germany)
疒
Mad-文
nEss学
Madness n.
疯狂, 疯, 瘋 <名>
疯, 头病。—— 《集韵》
瘫痪 [paralysis]
癫狂 diānkuáng
[manic depressive
psychosis]
[frivolous]
癫痫 diānxián
[epilepsy] “羊角风”
癫子 diānzi
[lunatic] [方]∶ 疯子
疯癫 fēngdiān
[insane]
疯狗fēnggǒu
[mad dog; rabid dog]
疯狂 fēngkuáng
[insane]∶发疯
[desperate; frenzied;]∶
疯人 fēngrén
[lunatic; madman;]
疯子 fēngzi
[madman]
[lunatic]
MADNESS
AND
LITERATURE
COURSE INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Develop an understanding of madness as an aesthetic, literary,
psychological, and social concept.
Apply inquiry techniques and analytical skills to a variety of
Western and Chinese literary texts and films.
Reflect on the diversity of personal, cultural, and social
human experiences and make intelligent connections between
texts and cultures.
Appreciate the social and historical changes that are reflected
in the materials.
Acquire skills for cross-cultural and literary analysis that are
applicable to other themes and enquiries.
Apply acquired knowledge to a complex text.
疒
Mad-文
nEss学
Madness n.
疯狂, 疯, 瘋 <名>
疯, 头病。—— 《集韵》
瘫痪 [paralysis]
癫狂 diānkuáng
[manic depressive
psychosis]
[frivolous]
癫痫 diānxián
[epilepsy] “羊角风”
癫子 diānzi
[lunatic] [方]∶ 疯子
疯癫 fēngdiān
[insane]
疯狗fēnggǒu
[mad dog; rabid dog]
疯狂 fēngkuáng
[insane]∶发疯
[desperate; frenzied;]∶
疯人 fēngrén
[lunatic; madman;]
疯子 fēngzi
[madman]
[lunatic]
MADNESS
AND
LITERATURE
TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVTIES
 Lectures to introduce essential concepts and theories, supplemented
by student research on specific topics to acquire broader knowledge.
 Minute papers, mind maps, games, discussions, multi-media
presentations
 Group discussions based on weekly guided reading questions to
enhance communication skills and critical thinking.
 Multi-media presentations, short reflective writing to present
knowledge intelligently.
 Research a text, author, or film not covered in the required readings.
 A final group project in which students should express the theme of
madness in a novel of their choice in a creative way.
疒
Mad-文
MADNESS
AND
LITERATURE
nEss学
Madness n.
疯狂, 疯, 瘋 <名>
疯, 头病。—— 《集韵》
瘫痪 [paralysis]
癫狂 diānkuáng
[manic depressive
psychosis]
[frivolous]
癫痫 diānxián
[epilepsy] “羊角风”
癫子 diānzi
[lunatic] [方]∶ 疯子
疯癫 fēngdiān
[insane]
疯狗fēnggǒu
[mad dog; rabid dog]
疯狂 fēngkuáng
[insane]∶发疯
[desperate; frenzied;]∶
疯人 fēngrén
[lunatic; madman;]
疯子 fēngzi
[madman]
[lunatic]
O, matter and impertinency mixed! Reason in madness!
William Shakespeare
“King Lear”
Act 4:4