AHUM 220 - Literatures of Oppression

This survey course provides an overview of the literary expressions of oppression in the West, from antiquity to the present and covering various events within history such as manifestations of ethnocentrism in classical antiquity; the philosophy of domination and social inequality; the era of discovery, conquest, and colonization; the Women’s Movement; American slavery; the Holocaust; and the Gay Rights Movement. As students analyze the literary works of people writing within these social and cultural contexts and shifting political views, they are forced to question the nature of oppression. Who does the oppressing? Who are the oppressed? What is the nature of such a relationship? What are the structures of oppression? How does the voice of the oppressed find expression in the language and literary constructs of the dominant culture? What narrative techniques and strategies are employed by oppressors and oppressed in the quest for self-representation? This course allows students to explore the themes of power, self-representation, and language, while developing some important critical reading and analytical writing skills.

Credits: 1.00
Corequisite: None
Prerequisites: None
Major/Minor Restrictions: None
Class Restriction: None
Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
Liberal Arts CORE: None
Formerly: HUMN 220

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