mariamvakani

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literature

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Treatment and Discussion of Mentally Ill Characters

A look into the way mentally ill characters are treated in their stories: why, in most cases, their depressions/anxiety is not discusses, why the idea of getting therapy is not more common in stories to normalize the idea that this is a healthy thing to do. Why mental illness is either romanticized unhealthily or completely disregarded? This would be an interesting thing to think about in YA lit.

A look into the way mentally ill characters are treated in their stories: why, in most cases, their depressions/anxiety is not discussed, why is the idea of getting therapy so taboo? Why is it not normalized, perhaps even encouraged? Why are romantic relationships seen as the answer to many mentally ill characters, and why is the writing of the mental illness affecting that relationship either grossly romanticized or completely ignored? – mariamvakani 8 years ago
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I like this topic a lot, mariamvakani. I think it is interesting because there is often stigma attached to mentally ill characters in older literature (see Lear, etc.) but I disagree that mental conditions are always stigmatized in literature. I am interested in writing this topic because mental illness is a topic that is so poignant in each novel in which it is displayed. I would revise with the notion that our perception of mental illness has changed over time and become more analytic and progressive as opposed to just being broadstroked as "wrong." – AndyJanz 8 years ago
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books that come to mind: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" – AaronJRobert 8 years ago
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This is an interesting topic I agree that there are a lot of books that ignore the mental health of the character and its treatment. One of my biggest issues is that when characters are portrayed as mentally ill (and I have seen several TV shows, Films and Theatre performances where this has happened but not so much in books) is that the representation of Mentally Ill characters can further stigmatise mental illness or mental distress and these portrayals can end up doing more harm than good. However, that said there are plenty of autobiographies and books that are inspired by real-life events that go into detail about the role of therapy, medication and family/peer/network support and offer a fantastic insight into the real world of mental illness. – Dewi Evans 5 years ago
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Latest Comments

Sep 19, 2016 mariamvakani I’d just add that an essential book for writers is ALL books, read read read read read read read!	Essential Books for Writers
Sep 19, 2016 mariamvakani The discussion of Peter’s heartlessness is quite interesting, especially when we take into account that even when he makes flippant comments throughout the book, Wendy, John and Michael are affronted and slightly shocked. We could say that it is the absence of the adult figure in Peter’s life that makes him so emotionally stunted, and basically afraid of making a choice as great as whether or not he should take Wendy back, or stay with her. He can’t make the choice, he simply doesn’t have the emotional capacity to!	The Problem of Peter Pan: Should Choices Hurt?
Sep 19, 2016 mariamvakani Draco is basically the epitome of a troubled child, a lot of what he does is clearly desperation for attention, and I think it’s fascinating to see how this affects the way he changes over the courses of the series, learning that most of the attention he was getting was not.. healthy, to say the least.	Why Draco Malfoy is one of the Most Underrated Characters in 'Harry Potter'