FRS 004 — Sec. 004 —
(2 units) — CRN 53632 — T 11:00-1:00pm — 109 Wellman
My Reality: Psychology and Symbolism in Literature and Film
Instructor: Rachel Edelson, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine
Description: This course is intended for students who want an
in-depth introduction to psychological and symbolic thinking. As an ardent student
herself of literature and film, the instructor is convinced that an ability to
analyze these art forms becomes a skill which transfers into understanding ourselves
and others. All works in the course are ambiguous, many-layered and dark —
providing an antidote to the American unrealistic insistence on "the triumph
of the human spirit." Students will enjoyably gain critical thinking skills
through practicing close analysis of daring works of art.
Format: The seminar will meet for two hours each week. All learning
will take place through the complex exchange of student perspectives - an exploration
of the details and ambiguities of the works. There is no main text. All reading
materials, fiction and analytical, will be provided by the instructor, except
for critical commentary on films, which students are required to find online.
Grading: The instructor believes that grades often inhibit,
rather than foster, real learning; a course must be engaging, taught at the highest
intellectual level, and address important personal issues. To that end, each week
students will write 2 -3 page personal/ analytical responses to the works of the
course, which the instructor will return the next week, ungraded but commented
on. The final assignment will be a collage essay (to be explained week # 8) related
to any of the work(s) of the seminar. Passing the course involves engaged class
participation, minimal 80% attendance and weekly homework, plus a grade of at
least "c' on the final essay, indicating that the student has grasped the
major concepts of the course.
About the Instructor: Rachel Edelson has been teaching first
and fourth year UC Davis Psychiatry residents for ten years, using fiction as
a model to show them how to "read" their patients more effectively.
As well, she has been teaching composition and literature for fifteen years, and
currently teaches a College Composition course based on the psychological origins
of Censorship, and an Advanced Critical Thinking course based on the psychology
of Human Evil.