Literatures in Translation (270-0-20)

Instructors

Mauricio Oportus

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-319: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM

Overview of class

"Law and its Discontents" will explore the ways in which the figure of the criminal has been represented in literature and film across national traditions, with a special focus in the Americas. By carefully examining aesthetic depictions of the "outlaw" -from the American "Cowboy," to the Argentinian "Gaucho," to contemporary portrayals of popular heroes and state violence- this course will address not only the role that these figures have played in the construction of national identities, but will also explore their potential for unsettling our conceptions of lawfulness, institutional justice, and ultimately, of the nation itself. These discussions will culminate in a collaborative podcast project, where students will creatively address key questions about the relationship between legal order and violence, criminality and popular justice, law and ecological disaster, and the (out)law's place in civil society. Course materials for this course will include texts and films from Franz Kafka, J. L. Borges, Angela Davis, Jane Campion, Pedro Cabiya, Sergio Leone, Mariana Enríquez, and Justine Triet, among others.

Class Attributes

Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Pre-registration -- Reserved for Comparative Literature students.