About the Projects
The Hidden Language of Emotion, Literature and Emotion (ENGL 171LE), and more
Investigate
ENGL 171LE is a course devoted to exploring the concept of “emotion” from many different angles: history, neuroscience, literature, and more. Our mission is to connect different modes of learning together for a well-rounded understanding of a complex concept.
Connect
Through this coursework, we are invested in creating conversations across discipline lines. Literature and Emotion is part of a growing cluster of cognitive courses at UCSB affiliated with the Literature and the Mind center to this end. All students are welcome here!
Grow
With time, this course and the interests of its students can and should expand into the world beyond academia. We welcome submissions and discussion of ongoing projects, news, or publications in our fields to share and grow our community.
Course Description
What are emotions? How are they expressed through art? What does it mean to be a thinking, feeling human being?
This course provides students with an opportunity to engage in detailed interdisciplinary study of significant developments in the history of "emotion." Examining literary texts from the early modern period up to the twenty-first century, we will be addressing the concept of emotion as presented in a variety of forms and genres, alongside key findings in cognitive neuroscience and psychology. Together, these materials refute the traditional opposition between emotion and rationality and reveal the extent to which emotion is an inextricable part of everyday cognition.
Assignments for this course are designed to increase interdisciplinary literacy and develop skills of practical criticism.
Inquire for the full syllabus or learn more course details by clicking the link below!
Certificates
Literature and Emotion was part of the Cognitive Cluster of summer courses taught by UCSB PhD candidates, which also includes ENGL 170SB: Story and the Brain and C LIT 183: Cognitive Poetics.
As an interdisciplinary course in the Cognitive Cluster, Literature and Emotion counted towards the Literature and the Mind certificate housed under the UCSB English Department — which is open to all, even those outside UCSB.
Literature and Emotion also used to count towards the Medical Humanities professional certificate before the program was discontinued.
Literature and Emotion satisfied the UCSB Area E
GE requirement.
You can find out more about the UCSB Lit and Mind specialization certificate from their website below.
Instructor
Literature and Emotion was created and taught by Madeleine Roepe. Maddie earned her PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2024 and has a BA from Boston University and the Kilachand Honors College. Her dissertation is titled The Hidden Language of Emotion, and inspired the material for this course. You can find more information about her dissertation here. She also coordinated multiple events as the Research Assistant for Lit and Mind for the 2020-2021 academic year.
You can get in touch with Maddie through the contact form on this site or through any of the social media channels linked at the bottom of the page, and you can learn more about her past work and qualifications using the link below.
Words from Past Students
Across all years of the course (2020, 2021, 2022), ENGL 171LE earned 99% “Excellent” satisfaction with students. Here’s what they had to say about the course:
“It was a great community to openly speak about different perspectives and ideas upon the literature.”
“The content challenged me to read literature through a different lens, and I developed a strong understanding of basic neuroscience/psychological concepts that helped me do so.”
“The interdisciplinary nature of the course is something I think should be much more common in academia. It is both engaging and relevant.”
“My favorite teacher here at UCSB and one of the best experiences of my college career.”
“The most valuable aspect of this course, of course, is its focus on emotions! What an important topic, especially when dealing with literature.”
“Finding the meaning of emotion in literature through a multi-disciplinary approach was one of the most interesting classes I've had at this college so far.”
“[Maddie] creates a classroom environment (even on Zoom) that is welcoming, friendly and kind and it encouraged so many of us to not be shy or embarrassed to speak in class, we were all so engaged not only with our readings but with our classmates.”
“Please support this class and the wonderful human being teaching it, she deserves to share her amazing work with as many students as possible.”