J a s o n   H u d d l e s t o n' s O n l i n e  C o u r s e   f o r E N G L I S H   1 3 0 2

MONSTERS, MURDER, AND MADNESS in Literature

"What's madness but nobility of soul at odds with circumstance?"                       -- Theodore Roethke

"There is pleasure sure, in being mad, which none but madmen know!"                                                                                -- John Dryden

The thematic focus of this course will be to examine the concept of madness in literature. One of our emphases will be to confront the following problems exhibited in literature: * Stereotypes and Exploitations of Madness * The Identity of Self and Other * The Nature of Reality * The Ambivalence of Suicide * Melancholy Versus Clinical Depression * Madness as Psychosomatic We will also look to answer the following questions regarding madness: *What is the origin(s) of the character's madness? *How does the character's madness develop? *What type(s) of madness are exhibited by the character(s)? *What are the consequences of the character's madness (on self and other)? *How does the narrator/author (short story) or director (film) use elements of their genre to depict madness in the story? A variety of texts -- provided online and in class -- will be critically examined to further understand the concept and application of madness in modern literature.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE

RELATED LINKS

Prerequisites for the ENGLISH  1302 Online Course

Instructions of Using Email, Chat Room, and Web Conferencing in this Course

ASSIGNMENTS

ONLINE  QUIZZES

MLA  Online Manual

CHAT  ROOM (click HERE to download AOL Instant Messenger from mynetscape.com)

Jason Huddleston, Instructor of English Navarro College

C A L E N D A R   O F    E V E N T S

Click HERE to Stimulate Your Mind

Acknowledgements

Edvard Munch's "The Scream"