2012-2013 Academic Year Calendar - Marianopolis

and flows through the medium ofsight, consequently producing changeor maintaining the status quo.Unheard VoicesThis course introduces a number oftexts (short stories, essays, poems,and two novels) in which the narratoror speaker’s point of view profoundlyaffects the reader’s response to theliterary work. In these texts, authorsuse the literary techniques ofcharacter, point of view and voice toenhance and develop major themessuch as perception, misunderstanding,alienation, and deceit.MonstersWhat scares us—and why—differsaccording to the person, thegeneration and the culture. Thecreatures of our fears differ in formand habit; however, one thing isconstant: they serve specific functionsin terms of both our individualpsyches, and our collective socialsystems. In this course, we examinemonsters found in a variety of literaryworks and films, from differenthistorical periods and cultures.Through this examination, we explorewhy we create monsters, and whatfunctions such creatures serve inliterary texts, and the larger socialcommunities.Protest LiteratureThis course explores protest literaturethat addresses human rights concernsin various genres of literature. Byexploring writing from differentcountries, cultures and time-periods,we will take an internationalperspective, emphasizing how humanrights are an issue that concerneveryone, everywhere, at all times.By studying the Universal Declarationof Human Rights, we will define whathuman rights are, why they areimportant, and how difficult they canbe to interpret. The readings willexpose a myriad of human rightsconcerns, including political,religious, sexual, and racial issues.Literature and ImaginationThis course focuses on works thatreflect and respond to the emergenceof the idea of the imagination as acreative, transformative force. Theyexpress the value of the imaginationin our daily reality, and of theambiguity we feel for the alternativerealities it evokes.RevengeThis course explores the literarytheme of “revenge,” as found in avariety of works from differenthistorical periods and cultures. Byexamining stories and passages fromvarious mythologies, as well plays,novels, short stories and movies, weexplore our desire to “get even,” theways in which this theme is connectedto the values of the society and culturein which the works were created, theforms revenge may take, and theoften-tragic consequences that resultfrom vengeful acts.Madness in LiteratureThis course will explore the variousways that madness has historicallybeen depicted. Amongst other things,the madman/madwoman in literaturehas caused: terror (the psychoticmurderer), admiration (the madgenius), and sympathy (the victimof modern alienation). Furthermore,literary depictions of madness oftenforce societies to question the sanityof their own institutions (war,capitalism, religion, etc). Ultimately,this course seeks to address how andwhy madness has been symbolicallyused in such diverse ways.General Education: EnglishMemory and ImaginationThis course considers the natureof memory and its relationship toimagination and creativity, studyingboth memoirs and short personalessays. The course explores theillusive, contradictory and unpredictablenature of memory and howwriters attempt to imitate, articulateand elucidate this complexity. Weread a number of texts exploring thenature of memory, imagination andthe creative process. We will writedescriptively and critically, drawingon memory and imagination as wellas analysis to develop and revise ourunderstandings.Shakespeare’s CommunitiesCommunity argued James Baldwin,‘simply means our endless connectionwith, and responsibility for, eachother.’ This course develops students’ability to apply a critical approachto the theme of community withinseveral of Shakespeare’s plays. Theplays all tend to affirm that, forbetter or for worse, it is throughsocial engagement with others thatindividual identities are most fullyand meaningfully asserted.English Adapted to Program603-LPE-MS (2-2-2) 2 credits- 4 hours of class- 2 hours of homeworkThese courses provide students withthe opportunity to study specializedareas of communication which, eitherby virtue of subject matter or of form,are relevant to all students in thepre-university program or morespecifically to students in the Science,Social Science or Arts programs.Designed for university-bound collegestudents, these courses are31