Research Outline – In What Ways Does Literature View and Represent Mental Health and Mental Illness?

Research Outline – In What Ways Does Literature View and Represent Mental Health and Mental Illness?

1. INTRODUCTION
   1. Definition of Mental Health and Mental Illness in Literature
   2. Importance of Studying Mental Health Representations in Literature
   3. Overview of the Sources Used in Analysis
   4. Thesis Statement
2. CONTEXTUAL FRAMEWORK
   1. Historical Perspectives on Mental Illness in Society and Literature (Pérez García, 2022)
      1. Evolution of attitudes toward mental illness over the centuries
      2. The role of literature in reflecting societal shifts
   2. The Significance of Reader Response Criticism (Harding, 2023)
      1. Development of reader response theories
      2. Interpretation of emotional reception in literary works focusing on mental health

• THEMES IN REPRESENTATIONS OF MENTAL ILLNESS
  1. Supportive Communities and Their Impact (Aberle, 2021)
     1. Importance of community support for characters with mental illnesses
     2. Examples from award-winning young adult literature
  2. Complexity of Characters with Mental Illness (Aberle, 2021; Maghfiroh, 2024)
     1. Multifaceted representation versus one-dimensional stereotypes
     2. Exploration of contemporary prose in representing mental health challenges
  3. NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES AND THEIR IMPACT
     1. Analysis of Narrative Structures in Young Adult Literature (Landsverk, 2024)
        1. The role of narration in shaping perceptions of mental illness
        2. Comparison of different literary works on mental health themes
     2. The Influence of Emotion and Character Construction (James & Merickel, 2005; Maghfiroh, 2024)
        1. Emotional engagement as a tool for understanding mental health
        2. Critique of literature’s capacity to shape societal attitudes towards mental illness
     3. STEREOTYPES AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES
        1. Examination of Prevailing Stereotypes in Literature (Aberle, 2021)
           1. The tragic victim versus the resilient hero
           2. The risks of reinforcing negative perceptions through literary portrayals
        2. Literature’s Dual Role as a Reflection and Shaper of Societal Attitudes (Pérez García, 2022; Maghfiroh, 2024)
           1. The challenge of balancing realism with sensitivity in portrayals
        3. CONCLUSION
           1. Summary of Findings on Literature’s Representation of Mental Health and Illness
           2. Call for Continued Exploration and Responsible Depiction in Literary Works
           3. Implications for Educators and Readers in Promoting Empathy Toward Mental Health Issues
              

References

Aberle, A. (2021). Mental illness representation in young adult literature. Graduate Research Papers. https://scholarworks.uni.edu/grp/1880

Harding, J. R. (2023). Reader response criticism and stylistics. In The Routledge Handbook of stylistics (pp. 69-86). Routledge.

James, M., & Merickel, A. (2005). Reading literature and writing argument (2nd ed.). Pearson Prentice Hall.

Landsverk, I. (2024). Stories of experience: Representations of mental illness and suicide in young adult literature [Master Thesis, NTNU]. https://ntnuopen.ntnu.no/ntnu-xmlui/handle/11250/3147670

Maghfiroh, D. (2024). Narratives of mental health in modern prose literature. Journal of Literary Prose and Society, 1(1). https://jlps.polteksci.ac.id/index.php/jlps/article/view/1

Pérez García, A. (2022). Mental illness in English literature: Attitudes and representations. [Bachelor’s thesis, Universidad de Oviedo]. http://hdl.handle.net/10651/63474

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Research Outline – In What Ways Does Literature View and Represent Mental Health and Mental Illness?

Using the template provided in Using a Formal Outline to Plan, create your own formal outline that includes working thesis statement, topic sentences, support/ evidence, and conclusion. Submit your research paper outline here.
THIS IS THE RESEARCH OUTLINE TEMPLATE:
Four Main Components for Effective Outlines
Ideally, you should follow the four suggestions presented here to create an effective outline. When creating a topic outline, follow these two rules for capitalization: For first-level heads, present the information using all upper-case letters; and for secondary and tertiary items, use upper and lower-case letters. The examples are taken from the Sample Outline handout.

Parallelism—How do I accomplish this?
Each heading and subheading should preserve parallel structure. If the first heading is a verb, the second heading should be a verb. Example:

CHOOSE DESIRED COLLEGES
PREPARE APPLICATION
(“Choose” and “Prepare” are both verbs. The present tense of the verb is usually the preferred form for an outline.)

Coordination—How do I accomplish this?
All the information contained in Heading 1 should have the same significance as the information contained in Heading 2. The same goes for the subheadings (which should be less significant than the headings). Example:

VISIT AND EVALUATE COLLEGE CAMPUSES
VISIT AND EVALUATE COLLEGE WEBSITES
Note important statistics
Look for interesting classes
(Campus and websites visits are equally significant. They are part of the main tasks you would need to do. Finding statistics and classes found on college websites are parts of the process involved in carrying out the main heading topics.)

Subordination—How do I accomplish this?
The information in the headings should be more general, while the information in the subheadings should be more specific. Example:

DESCRIBE AN INFLUENTIAL PERSON IN YOUR LIFE
Favorite high school teacher
Grandparent
(A favorite teacher and grandparent are specific examples from the generalized category of influential people in your life.)

Division—How do I accomplish this?
Each heading should be divided into 2 or more parts. Example:

COMPILE RÉSUMÉ
List relevant coursework
List work experience
List volunteer experience
(The heading “Compile Résumé” is divided into 3 parts.)

Technically, there is no limit to the number of subdivisions for your headings; however, if you seem to have a lot, it may be useful to see if some of the parts can be combined.