Well, here we are: my first week of college come and gone. As we finally disembark from the land of syllabuses and ice-breakers, we begin our journey towards new material and learning. I’ve found psychopathology in literature incredibly engaging so far. The consistent writing prompts have gently forced me out of my comfort zone and led me to discuss topics that once seemed taboo to talk about to practical strangers. Even in times like these when we are so physically distanced from our peers and teachers, I find myself connecting with others through their responses on Blackboard. It’s so strange to me that I could be sitting across from one of my classmates on the train and not even recognize them. Even as the semester continues, I don’t believe I would recognize a single one of my peers in person- except for maybe Mr. Otte (unless he’s shaved his beard since taking his profile picture, then I’m not so sure). Maybe I’ll find myself glancing up to see someone reading the same assigned book as me and all I could do is wonder: “Could they be in my class?” I know I wouldn’t dare approach them. “Must keep 6ft distance” would robotically ring in my ear if I attempted such a drastic stunt. But, maybe I’ll try to say hello; maybe I’ll awkwardly point at the cover of my novel and then awkwardly point towards their own: mouthing the words, “Isn’t this a good book?” as I go along, only to realize for the one-thousandth time that no one can read lips through a mask. Then I’ll likely return to my book, cheeks flushed, and be stuck wondering, “Could they be in my class?” So, should you see someone doing a very poor job of socializing on the A train someday, pointing awkwardly at the cover of your book, I’m your gal…
Aside from that long, seemingly pointless tangent, I’ve found psychopathology to appear throughout my life in a number of ways. It might sound silly, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that my family seems to attract mental illness; both in our genetics and in our social circles. Because of this, I’ve always been interested to learn more about how these illnesses affect the lives of others. I have my own perspectives, and I’ve seen it unfold in the lives of those I love, but I haven’t put much thought into how the media, literature, and society as a whole portrays mental health. I hope this course will offer me greater insight into those ideas.
