“The many great gardens of the world, of literature and poetry, of painting and music,
of religion and architecture, all make the point as clear as possible: The soul cannot thrive in the absence of a garden.
If you don't want paradise, you are not human; and if you are not human, you don't have a soul.” ― Sir Thomas More
of religion and architecture, all make the point as clear as possible: The soul cannot thrive in the absence of a garden.
If you don't want paradise, you are not human; and if you are not human, you don't have a soul.” ― Sir Thomas More
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Big Ideas (for the course) |
List of Works |
Syllabus:In this semester class, we will examine one main struggle of humanity: the need for control. The literature we study will deal with a variety of methods of control: some through force, some through deception, some through pleasure. We will discuss the methods and desires of those in power.
Of course, if we focus on the controllers, we must also focus on the controlled. Control is a power struggle: you typically give up something to get something in return. What happens if that balance is disrupted and becomes uneven? What do the controlled lose in this bargain? |
There is one overarching question we will attempt to answer by the end of the semester:
Why does the dystopian narrative resonate so well with your generation? To answer that question, we will look at the following aspects/concepts of various dystopian societies:
This is one of those instances of looking back in order to look forward; we must examine what the writers of the classic dystopian novels believed about man's struggle in order to fully appreciate the struggles of today and, more importantly, tomorrow. |
Here is the list of main works we will study in this class. They are in approximate order, and I have included info from Wikipedia, IMDB, and reviews from Barnes and Noble for your convenience.
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Class Calendar |
Reminds |