EGH628   Literature and the Mind   (30 credits)

Description

This module explores the relationship between literature and the human mind, drawing on a range of academic disciplines; from literary theory to cognitive psychology, from literary linguistics to philosophy. The module considers how recent advances in the study of human cognition can enhance our understanding of the reading experience. Students will be introduced to a range of concepts from cutting-edge cognitive research and will be encouraged to investigate the ways in which this body of knowledge can be used as a means of exploring literature. We will examine, for instance, the role of cultural and personal knowledge in the reading process, the conceptual structure of metaphor, how texts direct readerly attention and the readerly experience of literary worlds.

Reading List