Representation of depression in Christopher Isherwood’s A Single Man

Abstract

Literary works have depicted depression for centuries, but often the symptoms depicted are restricted to those of melancholy or suicidal ideation. Depictions of other aspects of the disorder are less common, and thus might not be known to all readers. The present thesis aimed to analyze how depression is represented in Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 novel A Single Man, with specific focus on the symptoms of apathy, dissociation, and performativity.