The Influence Of The Denial Of Insanity In Literature

The Denial Of Insanity

Throughout classic literature, in both fictional and non-fictional stories, characters experience different stages of psychological wellness. In each story, the writer starts with an idea, and as these stories develop they are influenced by each characters own unique mental exploration. In the following short stories, there is a common theme between four characters. Each of them experience a journey that leads to a mental deterioration. This theme is important because, not only is it associated with the writer's truth, but it is also the reasoning and heart behind the writer's work. Although each individual character suffers from some sort of mental illness, they are all influenced by different events and personal experiences. The first story, "A Tell Tale Heart" written by Edgar Allan Poe, explores a character’s mental instability which is supported by denial and confusion. "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, determines a woman's mental deterioration caused by a controlling husband who lacks the patience to acknowledge her true inner pain. Katherine Ann Porter's "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" is a gloomy

Faulkner was known for his southern literature which comes as no surprise as this short story takes place in Mississippi in the late 1800‘s. This gothic-fictional story is told by different narrators of different generations who tell the story of a woman named Emily Grierson whos mental trauma is caused by depression and loss. Emily is a woman who came from an upper-class family. She grew up with her father who made it impossible for her to settle down with any man because none of them were good enough for her. This scarred her and caused her to become dependent and attached to her father. The first example of her mental deterioration is shown after the passing of her father when she denys his death for three