5-2 Project Draft: Understanding Our Identity Through the Humanities HUM 102 Module Five Project Draft Guidelines and RubricOverview Congratulations! You are three-quarters of the way through the cour

HUM 102 Module Four Project Proposal

Part One: Choose the Creative Works

1. Describe the two creative works.

Topic: Mental Health

Creative Works:

The Scream by Edvard Munch (Visual Art)

Mad Girl’s Love Song by Sylvia Plath (Literary Work)

The Scream is an iconic expressionist painting which vividly portrays the psychological anguish and anxiety experienced by the subject through distorted forms and vibrant colors. On the other hand, Mad Girl’s Love Song is a poem that uses lyrical repetition and fragmented imagery to express emotional instability and confusion associated with mental illness. Although these two works belong to different humanities subject areas — visual art and literature — they both explore the internal experience of mental health challenges.

1. Describe how the chosen creative works can be used to understand the topic.

The Scream approaches mental health visually by using symbolism and expressionism to depict anxiety’s intensity and universality. Its raw emotional power helps viewers grasp the often-invisible suffering caused by mental illness. In contrast, Mad Girl’s Love Song offers a personal and introspective literary exploration of psychological distress, providing insight into how mental illness affects identity, memory, and perception. Together, these works deepen understanding of mental health as they combine visual and verbal artistic expressions.

1. Describe the value of the diverse perspectives demonstrated in the chosen creative works.

The Scream offers a male European perspective and captures existential dread relevant across cultures and time periods. Meanwhile, Mad Girl’s Love Song gives voice to a female, mid-20th-century personal experience of mental turmoil. This diversity in gender and time enriches the discussion by highlighting how mental health is experienced and expressed differently depending on identity and context. Furthermore, the combination of visual and literary mediums broadens the ways the audience can engage with the topic.

1. Describe potential biases and assumptions present in the creative works in relation to the topic.

The Scream might lead viewers to see mental illness as overt, chaotic, and overwhelming, which could overshadow subtler or chronic forms of mental health challenges. On the other hand, Mad Girl’s Love Song may romanticize emotional pain and mental instability by emphasizing individual experience without addressing social or systemic factors. Both works reflect the artists’ personal contexts and experiences, and this may limit the overall scope of mental health representations.

Part Two: Self and Society

1. Describe how the creative works create meaning surrounding the topic.

The Scream symbolically expresses the internal emotional state within the context of society by illustrating how individual psychological distress connects to wider societal anxieties. Meanwhile, Mad Girl’s Love Song uses fragmented and repetitive language to evoke the fractured experience of mental illness, inviting the audience to empathize with the struggle to maintain coherence in identity and memory.

1. Describe how the creative works have impacted society’s perception of the topic.

The Scream has become a cultural icon that represents psychological anxiety and the human condition, thereby bringing mental health struggles into public awareness. In contrast, Mad Girl’s Love Song contributes a female narrative and emotional depth to mental health discussions, which helps reduce stigma and encourages openness about mental illness.

1. Describe how the creative works might be perceived by different groups of people.

Younger generations might interpret The Scream as reflecting modern anxieties and existential challenges, whereas older generations may see it in the context of historical societal shifts. While some may find Plath’s poem empowering due to its rawness, others might perceive it as overly intimate or difficult. Additionally, cultural differences can influence how the intensity and style of each work emotionally resonate with different audiences.

1. Explain how the creative works influence the development of empathy regarding the topic.

Both works humanize mental illness by translating abstract psychological experiences into relatable artistic expressions, which makes the topic more emotionally accessible. As a result, viewers and readers are encouraged to understand those suffering from mental health issues with compassion rather than judgment, thereby fostering empathy and reducing stigma.

1. Explain how the creative works encourage critical thinking regarding the topic.

Mad Girl’s Love Song challenges readers to question the reliability of memory and perception in mental illness, encouraging reflection on ambiguity. Meanwhile, The Scream prompts viewers to interpret symbolic visual cues and to consider how mental distress is expressed and perceived. Together, these works engage audiences in critically examining mental health beyond stereotypes.

Part Three: Identity and the Humanities

1. Describe the relationship between the humanities and self-identity.

Humanities creative works provide tools for introspection and self-exploration by allowing individuals to understand their emotions, experiences, and identities within a broader social and cultural context. They also encourage reflection on the factors that shape the self and how identity is expressed.

1. Describe sociocultural factors that influence identity construction.

Identity is shaped by factors such as gender, culture, ethnicity, religion, social class, and historical context, all of which influence how people see themselves as well as how society perceives them. Additionally, the creators’ backgrounds and social environments are reflected in their works, shaping their artistic expressions and affecting how identity is interpreted.

1. Explain how different humanities subject areas can be used to understand one's identity.

Visual arts use symbolism and imagery to express internal states and cultural narratives, while literature explores inner thoughts and social roles through language. Performing arts enact identity through embodied expression. Together, these humanities disciplines provide multi-dimensional insights into self-identity.

1. Explain how diverse perspectives influence self-concept.

Exposure to diverse perspectives broadens one’s understanding of identity by highlighting alternative experiences and values, and recognizing narratives different from one’s own can foster self-awareness, acceptance, and empathy. This process enriches personal identity development.

References

Munch, E. (1893). The Scream. The Museum of Modern Art. https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1305

Plath, S. (1953). Mad Girl’s Love Song. All Poetry. https://allpoetry.com/Mad-Girl's-Love-Song

TEDx Talks. (2017). Rewriting the Stigma of Mental Illness [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/p5-YwRad-rs

TEDx Talks. (2019). What They Don’t Tell You About Mental Illness [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/ieXB-BGxYwg