CLCS 184 - Questions of Character

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

In the mid-twentieth century, many French and American writers and critics began insisting that we treat fictional characters as strictly textual entities. Characters, they declared, are words on a page, not to be confused with psychological beings capable of moral agency. But why do we still care what fictional characters do? What incites us to talk about characters as if they were real people? What can a renewed interrogation of character teach us about storytelling, other cultures, and our own individual or group biases? We pursue these questions by examining short stories, two films and a play. The course emphasis is on close reading discussion, writing for revision, peer review, and the exploration of secondary texts representing a variety of disciplinary approaches. Kathleen Hart.

Open only to first-year students; satisfies the college requirement for a First-Year Writing Seminar.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS