Author: Violet Doolittle

Journal Entry #4

Each weekend I say, “This is the most homework I’ve had to do so far,” yet the next weekend is just there to top the last. So…”This is the most homework I’ve had to do so far,” falls from my lips this week and will likely make a roaring comeback next Friday. But, no need to worry. As of now, I seem to have it all under control. I’m a planning addict and have laid out a detailed to-do list for each day of this weekend. Of the 11 assignments I have to do, 7 are for my biology course, so I can’t wait to see what the next four years of complex science courses has in store for me. Oh, and can’t forget another four possible years after that of medical school. Ah, the things we do for love…

I think this week in Psychopathology has been my favorite so far. I enjoyed writing my own personal narrative, and I found it interesting to read through some of my peers’ work as well. Even though many of the pieces we’ve discussed touch on feminism, I’ll admit I was frankly surprised just how many of my peers’ narratives dealt with female oppression in their own lives. While I know women still have a ways to go, I’m proud of how far we’ve come to reach further equality. However, it was infuriating to find so many of my classmates, barely adults, dealing with oppression and abuse from men. It is the unfortunate reality that the world we live in is not always designed to promote women, but I think it’s the little things like this class— where women have a space to speak up about their struggles— where real change can begin.

Week 3: “Banana Fever”

This past week J.D. Salinger introduced us to Seymour Glass, a troubled veteran suffering from severe PTSD. As we read each short story, I found myself left with an overwhelming feeling of helplessness. The women from “The Yellow Wallpaper,” “Colloquy” and “The Daemon Lover” are all in search of help, yet, society treats them without serious consideration. One may say this has to do with the fact that they are women, and I agree that it has something to do with the lack of seriousness, however as “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” exemplifies, mental health as a whole was treated as such. Muriel brushes off Seymour’s condition with a care-free attitude, Muriel’s mother worries more for Muriel than for the well-being of Seymour, and Sybil is blind to any sign of his “banana fever.”

We may have come a long way in acknowledging the suffering of mental health patients since then, however, I see the community still faces a large amount of stigmatization surrounding their disorders. Though, I will note that this stigmatization appears to be on the decline, especially with the promotion of unity and individuality among the younger generations. I can only hope it will continue on that trend.

Thoughts on Week 1:

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.