Literature/Desire


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Weeks 10-12: post-/modernism

Modernism What does  The Wasteland  mean (Lol)? OK, well, let's unpack that: 1. How has it been interpreted? Use citations. 2. What are some of its key features? 3. In what ways has it been influential?? PoMo 1. What common qualities do the "Beats" share? Why were they so-named? 2. On what grounds was Ginsberg's HOWL accused of being obscene, and on what grounds was it defended? 3. In what ways are Beat poetry and rap linked? 4. How was Bob Dylan's song Master of War involved in controversy during the Bush administration? 5. What kinda protest song/rap/other media have come out in the last decade? Is there a spirit of protest anymore?
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Weeks 1-3: Dragon Slayers

1. What genres do the following texts belong to, and how do their intended period contexts, purposes, and intended audiences differ? Voluspa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbi t and  Lord of the Rings . Remember to give some examples from these texts that support your identification (for example: "Voluspa is an example of the _____ genre, as the following references to gods from the poem illustrate: "Hear my words / you holy gods' (l.1) "By Odin's Will I'll speak the ancient lore" (l.3), etc). 2. What are some possible features of residual (or "secondary") orality preserved in  Voluspa , according to the criteria Ong (1982) advances? 3. Identify a central incident that happens in at least four of the above texts, and discuss how it is both similar and different in each example (remember to cite from the original texts). 4. How did Tolkien draw on the Old Norse and Old English texts in his  The Hobbit  and  The Lord of the Rings  fanta...
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Weeks 4-6: The Language of Seduction

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