College Seminar (101-7-21)

Topic

Exploring the Fantasy Novel

Instructors

Barbara Jane Newman
847/491-5679
University Hall 215

Meeting Info

Harris Hall L04: Mon, Wed, Fri 1:00PM - 1:50PM

Overview of class

This seminar will explore some classics of fantasy literature by diverse writers, asking what's at stake when an author decides to create a new world. How do the challenges and opportunities afforded by fantasy differ from those of the realistic novel? How have writers used this genre to experiment with new social arrangements and technologies, alternative ways of imagining gender, and beliefs about the supernatural? Why do animals and monsters play such important roles? Is there a clear dividing line between "adult" and "young adult" fantasy? The objectives of the course will be to gain a fuller understanding of this genre and to develop skill and confidence in interpreting literary texts, both orally and in writing. Texts may include Hope Mirrlees, Lud-in-the-Mist (1926); Madeline L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time (1962); Italo Calvino, The Castle of Crossed Destines (1969); Ursula K. Le Guin, The Compass Rose (1982); Salman Rushdie, Haroun and the Sea of Stories (1990); Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass (1995); and G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen (2012).

Class Attributes

WCAS College Seminar