Literary Histories (200-0-20)

Topic

Journeys, Exile, Migration, and Hope

Instructors

Wendy Wall

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-339: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

How does a journey from home-- a place of belonging-- shape our sense of identity and community? In this course, we will discuss ways that writers for centuries have used fantasy to contemplate home and exile. Beginning with the classical epic veteran Odysseus-- who battles monsters, sirens, and vengeful gods to return from the Trojan war-- we turn to modern stories where travelers are not traditional heroes but figures who feel profoundly vulnerable in their home spaces. Although these journeys share themes of risk and renewal, they invite us to consider strikingly different questions: How, for instance, do magic, family conflict, national borders, race, gender, and the environment shape feelings of home or displacement? Our classroom journey will involve learning to analyze literature, contextualize fiction in historical frameworks, and craft strong arguments in writing. Texts will include Homer's Odyssey; William Shakespeare's magical tale of love and power struggles in a fairy forest, A Midsummer Night's Dream; Octavia Butler's apocalyptic cli-fi novel, Parable of the Sower; Yuri Herrera's rewriting of The Odyssey in the borderlands, Signs Preceding the End of the World; Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are; and the fantasy-drama film set in Louisiana's eroding coastline, Zeitlin's Beasts of the Southern Wild.

Class Materials (Required)

Homer, The Odyssey, Emily Wilson, ISBN 978-0393356250
William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Folger edition, ed. Mowat and Werstine ISBN: 9781501146213
Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad, ISBN 978-1786892485
Octavia Bulter, The Parable of the Sower,ISBN ‎978-1538732182
Yuri Herrera, Signs Preceding the End of the World, trans. Dillman,ISBN ‏ 978-1908276421
Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are, ISBN ‎ 978-1782955030

Class Notes

This section of ENGLISH 200 may count as either an Historical Breadth Pre OR Post 1830 course for the Literature Major or Minor. It may not be counted as both.

Class Attributes

Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Pre-registration -- Reserved for English students.