English 189-1 - Winter, 2013

Seminar in Literary Studies

Topic: Literature of Terror

Class Information

Instructor: Simpson, David
CRN: 52765
Time: MW 9:00-10:20
Location: 308 Voorhies

Description

The Literature of Terror.

What is terror and can one write about it? How, and to what ends? Terror became a major topic during the French Revolution and has remained central to both political and literary writings ever since (and notably so in the wake of 9/11). We will read some major works by Dickens, Marsh, Melville, Rushdie and DeLillo, along with various political, psychological and aesthetic thoughts about and theories of terror (e.g. by Kant, Robespierre, Trotsky and others). Some of these materials will be available in a course reader available at Davis Copy Shop.

Grading

A final paper (70%); attendance at and participation in all seminar sessions (30%).

Texts

A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens (Penguin)
The Beetle, Marsh (Broadview)
Benito Cereno, Melville (Dover)
Shalimar the Clown , Rushdie (Random House)
Mao II, DeLillo (Penguin)