ABSTRACT
In The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Sacks (1985) wrote: “If we wish to know about a man, we ask ‘what is his story-his real, inmost story?’—for each of us is a biography, a story. Each of us is a singular narrative, which is constructed, continually, unconsciously, by, through, and in us.” (p. 110). Sacks’book presents a compelling rationale for psychologists to include narrative readings in their courses. Some psychology professors may balk at this suggestion; after all, psychology is a science. Those of us who teach this science are concerned (rightfully so) that we represent data-driven, probabilistic behavior of groups, rather than individual behavior. However, in emphasizing the methodology and results of our science, we may fail to help students to connect individual people’s stories with the science of psychology. If we want to know about people, then we must ask, “What
are their stories-their real, inmost stories?” Using literature as it is defined in other fields, such as novels or memoirs, can help us to examine these topics.
