Introductory Topics In Literature
Topic: "Out of this World" In Search of Utopia
Class Information
Instructor: Werth, Tiffany Jo
CRN: 54893
Time: TR 1:40-3:00
Location: 250 Olson
Description
“Out of this World” In Search of Utopia
The search for a better—or at least different—world from our own has fascinated writers at least since the story was told of a Garden of Eden. As a long-running occidental literary genre, Utopianism, the imaginative projection of a society, refers to works that construe visionary, millenarian, apocalyptic and dramatically different forms of society. These forms of social dreaming crystallize the hopes and anxieties of humankind. This course explores utopian (and dystopian) traditions within western literature, whether optimistic or pessimistic, from Plato to Blade Runner. As we read across genres and through time, we will reflect on the discoveries, technical innovations, and paradigm shifts that catalogue how a culture imagines its best and worst self.
Grading
5% Lecture Attendance
10% Course Engagement: Canvas Discussion Forums.
6 Canvas group discussions (lowest score dropped) (150-200 word post)
10% Reading Quizzes (6 quizzes; lowest score dropped)
20% Compare and Contrast Paper (3-4 pp)
30% Critical Research Essay (7-8 pp)
25% Final Exam (2 hours, closed book)
Texts
The Tempest, William Shakespeare
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Herland, Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Rule of Saint Benedict in English, Ed. Timothy Fry and Timothy Horner
Three Early Modern Utopias: Thomas More: Utopia / Francis Bacon: New Atlantis / Henry Neville: The Isle of Pines, Ed. Susan Bruce
The Convent of Pleasure, Margaret Cavendish
Ecotopia, Ernest Callenbach