But we happened anyway : short stories on disorder

Abstract

This MA thesis, But We Happened Anyway: Short Stories on Disorder, consists of a collection of five short stories and an exegesis detailing my research and writing process. When researching mental illness narratives in Singaporean literature, I found that they aimed largely to raise awareness, or validate personal experiences with mental illness; I wish instead to portray the mentally disordered without having them explain or justify being mentally disordered. The collection of short stories is my attempt at capturing what it means to be mentally disordered in Singapore, and to reclaim autonomy over our – the mentally disordered – narratives. The writing is highly stylized, varying in form and structure, the rhythm of which juddering and rocking offbeat, to portray the disordered mind. They were written in an attempt to answer the questions: What do stories written by the mentally disordered look like? What do stories written for the mentally disordered look like?