UWS 64A: University Writing Seminar: Culture and IllnessInstructor: Laura Kremmel Prerequisites: None Course Description: The Joker, Hannibal Lecter, and Norman Bates are all villains defined by their mental illnesses: they’re weird, dangerous, even evil. Similarly, we draw on narrative tropes to understand real and fictional characters with physical illness. For example, depictions of cancer patients in popular culture often use metaphors of the battlefield to declare them victorious or defeated. Experiences of physical and mental illness—including related embodiments of confusion, pain, and grief—are notoriously difficult to articulate. Without feeling illness ourselves, we are left to representations like the ones above to provide insight into these conditions. How do those representations influence our behavior towards those who are ill? How do they inform understandings of our own health and sociopolitical or bioethical programs? To address these questions, we will analyze representations of illness in a variety of genres, which may include film, ads, comics, and online media. This course will help students build skills in research, analysis, and rhetorical awareness of the many disciplines that representations of illness impact. Session: Session II Day: T, W, Th Time: 8:30am - 11:00am Credit Hours: 4 Credits Course Format: Remote Learning Course for Summer 2023 Brandeis Graduation Requirement Fulfilled: UWS Enrollment Limit: 10 students Course Classification: Undergraduate Level Course Course Tuition: $3,490 Course Fees: None Open to High School Students: Yes |
