Studies in Literature and Culture (385-0-22)
Topic
Mobsters, Desperados, and Samurai: Outlaws across
Instructors
Adam Cody Syvertsen
Meeting Info
Parkes Hall 223: Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM
Overview of class
Topic: Mobsters, Desperados, and Samurai: Outlaws across Genres and Cultures
As iconic anime such as "Cowboy Beebop" and GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan's classic album "Liquid Swords" demonstrate, the outcast samurai, the desperado, and the mobster have been adapted and (re)purposed across national boundaries and divisions of genre. Japanese artists are experimenting with Western gunslingers at the same time as American rappers are imagining themselves as the Ronin of Staten Island. What explains the persistent and global appeal of these rebellious figures? And how are they transformed as they move from one cultural context to another? Looking at a broad range of film, anime, manga, music, and literature from the 20th and 21st centuries, this course pays specific attention to the way outlaws associated with a particular culture or genre are adapted beyond their original formulations to express new social realities. From the samurai in Paris to the highwaymen of Neo-Tokyo, we will attempt to understand how and why these icons of outlaw culture have been able to captivate audiences all over the planet.
Teaching Method
Seminar style, discussion-based; small group exercises.
Evaluation Method
Participation, two short analytical papers, final project.
Class Materials (Required)
"Cowboy Beebop" (selected episodes); GZA's "Liquid Swords"; "Sukiyaki Western Django" (Dir. Takashi Miike); "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" (dir. Jim Jarmusch); "A Fistful of Dollars" (dir. Sergio Leone); "Cruel Gun Story" (dir. Takumi Furukawa); "City of God" (dir. Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund); "Le Samouraï" (dir. Jean-Pierre Melville); "Yojimbo" (dir. Akira Kurosawa).
Texts will be made available through a combination of course reserves or Canvas. In the occasion a text is unavailable via the library, students may be required to purchase a temporary streaming subscription.
Class Attributes
Advanced Expression
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area