Loading...
ENGL 151-12, Fighting Words: Narrating American Wars, Fall 2009
Maxwell, Jessica Sheets
Maxwell, Jessica Sheets
Citations
Altmetric:
Contributor
Photographer
Author
Artist
Editor
Advisor
Keywords
English, Department of, Syllabus, Curriculum, Academic departments, Text, 2009 Fall
Local ID
Collections
Abstract
In this course we will examine the ways in which American wars have been narrated in the 20th and 21st Centuries. You will be asked to critically engage with not only literary representations of war, but also with pieces of journalism, historical accounts, films, documentaries, photographic images, and memorials. As a class we will ask how an understanding of war is shaped through these mediums and how, in turn, cultural consciousness is shaped through our understanding of a particular war. In other words, what “work” do these representations do? Do they re-write certain wars as part of a nation-building exercise or, conversely, do they work as a piece of protest? How do these texts work to complicate and dismantle previous assumptions regarding a particular war?
This class is designed to develop your ability to write clear and effective argumentative prose. We will approach writing not as a product, but as a process that involves recognizing, developing, and effectively expressing our most interesting questions as compelling arguments. Requiring the analysis of not only assigned readings, but also each other's writing, this class emphasizes revision as an indispensable part of the critical-thinking process.
Description
This syllabus was submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs by the course instructor.