ENGL 103 B21: Case Studies in Research

D. Woodman

Illness makes us acutely aware of our bodies; it can also cause us to reflect on, question, and even reinvent the world that has framed our experiences and given them meaning. In this course we will read works by patients and health providers who represent experiences of pain, healing, altered lives, and approaching death in poetry, short stories, plays and novels, blogs, graphic memoirs and novels. These, in turn, give rise to questions about cultural norms, ideas of embodiment, the meaning of life, and how we negotiate and navigate medical experiences. Students will research a topic, theme and approach of their choosing.