Courses

    Introduces students to works from the major Western literary periods (Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque) from the 8th c. BC to the early 17th c. AD comparatively, i.e., outside their national literary boundaries. Theorizes interdisciplinary, genre studies, periodization, comparativism, thematology, hermeneutics, criticism, etc. Credit not granted for this course and HUMN 1010. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: Literature and the Arts.

    Introduces students to works from the major Western literary periods (Baroque, Enlightenment,Romanticism, Realism, Modernism) from the 17th- through the 20th-centuries comparatively, i.e., outside their national literary boundaries. Theorizes interdisciplinarity, genre studies, periodization, comparativism, thematology, hermeneutics, criticism, etc.. Credit not granted for this course and HUMN 1020. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: Literature and the Arts.

    Examines the major artistic and musical works in the Western tradition from ancient Greece through the 16th century in their larger historical, interdisciplinary, and theoretical ("aesthetic") contexts. Credit not granted for this course and HUMN 1010. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: Literature and the Arts.

    Examines the major artistic and musical works in the Western tradition from the 17th century to 21st-century post-modernism in their larger historical, interdisciplinary, and theoretical ("aesthetic") contexts. Credit not granted for this course and HUMN 1020. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.

    Examines the pre-Modern Mediterranean as the foundational zone of Western Humanism and culture, beginning with Classical Antiquity and through to the dawn of Modernity. Through history, art, literature and thought, it studies the region's role as the crucible of Helleno-Persian culture, Roman society, of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the intersection of Europe, Africa and Asia in the development of Modernity.

    Critically examines titles in German literature and thought. Nature and environment are used to explore alienation, artistic inspiration, nihilism, exploitation, sexuality, rural versus urban, meaning of the earth, cultural renewal, identity and gender. This "Green" survey of German classics spans Romanticism's conception of nature as unconscious spirit to the politics and values of contemporary Germany's Green party. Same as GRMN 1701. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.

    Provides a transition from the introductory courses to the upper-division courses. Introduces the various technical methods and topics encountered in the department's comparative, interdisciplinary upper-division courses, including cultural studies, rhetoric, translation, hermeneutics, word/image studies, etc. Prereq., HUMN 1010 or 1020. Prerequisites: Restricted to Humanities (HUMN) majors and minors only.

    Promotes a better understanding of fundamental aesthetic and cultural issues by exploring competing definitions of art and culture. Sharpens critical and analytical abilities by asking students to read and compare different theories about arts, culture, media, and identity, and then to apply and assess those theories in relation to a selection of visual and verbal texts from a range of cultural and linguistic traditions. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.

    Introduces interrelationships in the arts of African Americans and the African American contribution to American culture as a whole. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity or United States context.

    Exposes the students to a wide selection of Kafka's literary output and aims to define the meaning of the Kafkaesque by looking not only for traces of Kafka's influence in the verbal and visual arts, but also for traces left in Kafka's own work by his precursors in the literary tradition. Same as GRMN 2601. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.

    The basic themes of C. G. Jung's archetypal psychology (shadow, anima/animus, character typology, and individuation) are studied and applied as tools of critical analysis to selected films and literary texts of the modern period. Instructor consent required. Same as FILM 3022.

    Students should check with the department for specific semester offerings. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours, provided the specific offerings vary. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
    Students should check with the department for specific semester offerings. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours, provided the specific offerings vary. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).

    Surveys the range and function of film criticism, introduces major positions and concepts of film theory, and focuses on students' abilities to write about film. Prereq., FILM 1502. Same as FILM 3104.

    Explores the nature of sacred and secular narrative in literature, film, and the visual arts. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing. Formerly HUMN 4013.

    Explores examples of and theories about the formation and growth of the genre of detective fiction, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Explores the social conditions of the times in which the texts were written and the possible resulting influences on style. Compares the texts and theories to examples from other genres and time periods. Prereqs., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing.

    Explores the theatrical analogy that frames our understanding of catastrophes at sea and their literary and visual representation, paying particular attention to issues of gender, race, and sexuality, which are intentionally banned from such representations, but turn out to be their secret focus. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing.

    Comparative and interdisciplinary study of the figure of the hero and the concept of fate in the epic tradition and the modern novel. Explores literary, religious, philosophical, and ethical issues. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing. Formerly HUMN 4023.

    Offers an interdisciplinary approach to comedy, examining art, music, literature, and film from different periods. Comic theory is interlaced with the study of particular works. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing. Formerly HUMN 3033.

    Studies some of the great tragic works of art, music,and literature from the Greeks to the 20th century. Tragic theory is invoked as an aid to interpretation. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing. Formerly HUMN 3043. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).

    Interdisciplinary course that examines and compares various forms of the dramatization of narrative: written texts, audio, video, film, and live performances. Compares different versions of the same narrative or theme, especially if different media are used and different time periods are involved. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing. Formerly HUMN 4133.

    Introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of disability studies by investigating key concepts in disability theory, disability history and culture, media representations of people with disabilities, and pertinent bioethical issues.

    Focuses on the religious, cultural, philosophical, and literary aspects of ancient Chinese civilization (1500 B.C.-A.D. 200). Special attention is paid to foundational works that influenced later developments in Chinese culture. All readings are in English. Recommended prereq., EALC 1011 or CHIN 1051. Same as CHIN 3321.

    Surveys 20th century Chinese literature and popular culture against the historical background of rebellion, revolution, and reform. Emphasizes close and critical reading skills and an understanding of how aesthetic texts reflect and critically engage with historical and cultural experiences. Assignments include novels, essays, short stories, poems, plays, songs, films, and scholarly articles. Taught in English. Recommended prereq., CHIN 1021 or 1051. Same as CLAS 3341. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.

    Examines Enlightenment notions of reason, humanity, and social progress. Topics include 18th century views on government, science, education, religion, slavery, and gender roles. Taught in English. Same as GRMN 3505. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.

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