SH+2013+P5+Multiple-personality+disorder

__Aim__: Multiple-Personality Disorder (also known as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)), is a disorder where an individual has two or more identities or personalities. These identities take over the individual, causing loss of memory as well as many other causes. As WebMD states in an article “ Dissociative identity disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder) is an effect of severe trauma during early childhood, usually extreme, repetitive physical, sexual, or emotional abuse”(WebMD.com). DID is caused by severe abuse with most cases caused during early childhood. In many cases, people affected by this disease can cause confusion for their family members and loved ones because they are constantly changing their identity. With so many identities, as a friend of family member of someone with DID it is hard to keep track of all their identities because each one has its own name and personality. Because of this, it makes it very easy to spot among family, but difficult among strangers. If you meet someone without knowing they have this disorder, they may not remember you if they switch identities in that moment. It is common for patients to have 10-15 personalities with cases involving over 100 known identities.

Citations: Johnson, Kimball. "Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder): Signs, Symptoms, Treatment." WebMD. WebMD, 26 May 2012. Web. 26 July 2013.

"Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)." Psychology Today: Health, Help,Happiness + Find a Therapist. Pyschology Today, 10 Oct. 2008. Web. 26 July 2013.

__Audience__ : The intended audiences of this book are english speakers in the 19th century. The book is written in the Victorian era, so the audience is also for Victorians. “ The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign.” CITATION. It is written(1886) in the Victorian era because Queen Victoria’s reign is from 1837 to 1901. The Victorian era is about manners and how you present yourself. Since the book has multiple personalities, one being polite and the other impolite; it entails the audience of people who are civilized and also others who are not.

Citations: "Victorian Era." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 July 2013. Web. 26 July 2013

Shmoop Editorial Team. "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Writing Style" Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 26 Jul. 2013.

__Historical__: Historically, the first case of dissociative identity disorder was discovered over four hundred years ago by a man named Paracelsus. This has sparked interest, no doubt, in the sensations and feelings of the person with another personality. Many have described it as "a state of sleepwalking, with scholars hypothesizing that the patients were switching between a normal consciousness and a 'somnambulistic' state" (Wikipedia). As time went on, authors began to take the challenge of portraying several personalities in one person in a piece of writing. They attempt to create a believable perception of dissociative identity disorder through the experiences of others.

It is presumed the author would have to go through copious amounts of research to ensure that the story is realistic and, above all, believable. Most likely, a person with dissociative identity disorder would have to go through some sort of trauma or life-changing event that would affect them forever. An article about the condition states, "People diagnosed with DID often report that they have experienced severe physical and sexual abuse" (Wikipedia). The author would have to make the piece realistic and their "persuasion" would be the facts they have about the disorder. An author would have to look at the reports of the condition, the supposed causes, and double-check that it is realistic enough to pass for a story.

Acceptance and reactions to the disorder in a fictional piece of literature would surely be similar to those in the actual world. Despite being fiction, the goal of a writer is to create something that is believable, yet can interest the reader. A web page concerning the disorder reports, "A number of factors helped create a large climate of skepticism and disbelief; paralleling the increased suspicion of DID was the decline of interest in dissociation as a laboratory and clinical phenomenon" (Wikipedia). If people were so unwilling to accept the fact that the disorder was a problem, it most likely was not well-received as well as having time to build such a surrounding of doubt. It was most likely perceived as a fake 'disease' or perhaps a fad, what with it gaining 'popularity'.

History was most likely made from the books concerning dissociative identity disorder, since it was such an odd issue to touch down on. It was a rare idea to frame a book around; a person with more than one personality running rampant in their mind? Interesting, but most authors were likely thinking that they had no idea where to start. An article states, "The public, however, was exposed to psychological ideas which took their interest. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and many short stories by Edgar Allan Poe had a formidable impact" (Wikipedia). Interest was piqued by the stories about this disorder since it was such an odd viewpoint on someone actually struggling with DID. The fact that there were now stories written about it, fictional or not, could have stimulated more interest as well as motivation in authors to write about the disorder.

Citations:

"Dissociative Identity Disorder." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 July 2013. Web. 25 July 2013

Van Der Kloet, D.; Merckelbach, H.; Giesbrecht, T.; Lynn, S. J. (2012). "Fragmented Sleep, Fragmented Mind: The Role of Sleep in Dissociative Symptoms".Perspectives on Psychological Science7 (2): 159.



__Cultural:__ Multiple Personality Disorder, or Dissociative Identity Disorder, has been popular in pop culture. A large number of movies, books, and music has used Multiple Personality Disorder as a muse. It’s also been used in television and comics. According to the Wikipedia page, Dissociative Identity Disorder, “It is a mental disorder characterized by at least two distinct and relatively enduring or dissociative personality states” (Wikipedia). Dissociative Identity Disorder is actually very rare. Despite that, it has been betrayed quite frequently in popular culture. From Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho to the newly popular Monster High doll series, Dissociative Identity Disorder is familiar to our culture. Most horror movies give the main killer a type of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Thus, it can be assumed that a text using Dissociative Identity Disorder will have some kind of horror aspect. Most of modern society has seen Dissociative Identity Disorder in some form or another, whether they recognize it or not.

Citations:

"Dissociative Identity Disorder in Popular Culture." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 July2013. Web. 25 July 2013.

"Dissociative Identity Disorder." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 July 2013. Web. 25 July 2013

__ Works Cited: __ "Dissociative Identity Disorder in Popular Culture." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 July2013. Web. 25 July 2013.

"Dissociative Identity Disorder." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 July 2013. Web. 25 July 2013

Johnson, Kimball. "Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder): Signs, Symptoms, Treatment." WebMD. WebMD, 26 May 2012. Web. 26 July 2013.

Van Der Kloet, D.; Merckelbach, H.; Giesbrecht, T.; Lynn, S. J. (2012). "Fragmented Sleep, Fragmented Mind: The Role of Sleep in Dissociative Symptoms".Perspectives on Psychological Science7 (2): 159.

Shmoop Editorial Team. "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Writing Style" Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 26 Jul. 2013.

"Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)." Psychology Today: Health, Help,Happiness + Find a Therapist. Pyschology Today, 10 Oct. 2008. Web. 26 July 2013.

"Victorian Era." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 July 2013. Web. 26 July 2013.