ENG-122: Research Question

In what ways does literature view and represent mental health, and how does this affect the stigma society has toward mental illnesses?

Explanation Paragraph

The question I have posed is personal as it comes from a reflection of my life and how I, and many people close to me, have faced mental health challenges. I have watched some of my relatives suffer from some form of mental health condition, which was often accompanied by a sense of neglect and confusion. This drives my passion for analyzing how mental health is presented in books and their representations because I believe that these stories have the power to influence people’s mindsets. This area deeply intrigues me to analyze how mental health logic is hidden in the very fabric of the literature that leads to the silencing of mental illness: ENG-122: Research Question.

Considering the range of viewpoints, my research question is relevant. It sparks conversation about the effects of literary representation on the actual perception of mental health. Mental health is an important theme in many contemporary literary works. From Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar” to Fredrik Backman’s “A Man Called Ove,” there are plenty of valuable narrative series to analyze.

In addition, there is a large body of critical essays, studies, and discussions about these works, which allow me to make reasonable arguments (Shahwan et al., 2022). Focusing on a few chosen texts enables me to conduct a detailed analysis within a limited period. By having the provided literature, I can merge all the information I have to produce a suitable answer to my question.

My research question adds to the conversation surrounding the literary portrayal of mental health issues. With the growing awareness of mental health challenges in society, it is crucial to understand how these issues are represented in the literature we consume. Analyzing the role of contemporary literature in the perception of mental health issues will allow me to provide important information to this discussion. My research will help in portraying how authors can either combat harmful stereotypes or deepen societal misunderstandings, and this would become a noteworthy addition to the existing conversation on mental health.

Developing the Research Question

It is important to delve into the history of literature with regard to societal paradigms to elaborate on my research question. For a long time, mental health has been a sensitive issue and tends to be ignored or treated casually. These are the socially constructed attitudes that literature seeks to change and vice versa. The issue is how well contemporary works resist challenging outdated views (Apple et al., 2022).

From analyzing a number of texts, I hope to find the treatment of characters with mental health problems and whether such portrayals result in greater tolerance or more alienation. This question is beyond the scope of literary analysis; it touches on the social consequences of the stories on the readers and society.

My research question is crucial because of the other disciplines that can be linked to it. With the addition of psychology and sociology, I am able to deepen the discussion and better explain the case. This strategy combines literature and psychology while simultaneously implementing a form of cultural critique that enables an analysis of how different stories influence public perception of mental illnesses. These forms of relationships bring to light the biases that exist in the literature and society, thus showcasing the consequences of negative representation through fictional storytelling.

This research has a serious element because of the popularization of mental health advocacy, especially in recent years. There is a clear gap in the conversation about how these topics are approached and how they are represented. With the broadening of the public discourse around mental wellness, literary analysis is bound to reveal important pointers about societal development. I aim to provide an answer that would carve a middle ground for critics and ordinary readers alike by exploring imagery in modern literature.

In conclusion, the research question of how mental health is depicted in contemporary literature has to do with my interests, controversies, scope, and contribution to existing conversations, which is perfect for me. By looking into this, I hope to learn more about my interests while also researching something that could help people better understand mental illness and help in the advocacy of a more accepting society. I hope this analysis, along with the arguments put forward by critics, will combine to form an impressive piece of academic work that, in addition to meeting the requisite academic criteria, will also make a respectful contribution to the debate on culture.

References

Apple, M. W., Biesta, G., Bright, D., Giroux, H. A., McKay, A., McLaren, P., Riddle, S., & Yeatman, A. (2022). Reflections on contemporary challenges and possibilities for democracy and education. Journal of Educational Administration & History, 54(3), 245–262. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220620.2022.2052029

Shahwan, S., Goh, C. M. J., Tan, G. T. H., Ong, W. J., Chong, S. A., & Subramaniam, M. (2022). Strategies to reduce mental illness stigma: Perspectives of people with lived experience and caregivers. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(3), 1632. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031632

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