This course will explore the representation of women identified as suffering from mental illnesses in a multiplicity of genres ranging from historical novels and fantastic literature to detective stories and horror films. We will pay special attention to the variety of political and ideological agendas with which the female icon of “la loca” has been infused. Works include: Del amor y otros demonios by Gabriel García Márquez, Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo,Delirio by Laura Restrepo, and Hipnos by Javier Azpeitia. Additional readings from a wide range of disciplines (feminism, literary and film theory, psychology and psychoanalysis) will enhance our understanding of these texts.