Psychology in Literature

This course aims to make the students aware of the uniqueness of every individual and to sharpen their understanding of self and others. Students will deal with concepts of human psychology as evidenced in character behavior in novels and other works. The course is designed to expand rhetoric, sharpen grammar, and hone the critical and analytical skills of students as they use a psychological lens to analyze character motivation. Specific attention will be placed on developing strong inference skills. Students will be placed in situations in which not all the information is provided to them. Specifically the use of poetry, short stories, and one longer novel will help them develop strong inference skills and the major focus for the class will be to use literary and psychological devices to develop these skills. There will be continued emphasis on advancing skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking, critical thinking, and the ability to synthesize. Beyond the purely skills-based aspect of the course, the content is designed to have students engage with literature authentically and gain greater empathy and understanding of the human experience as a whole.