ENGL-246 Cultural Representations of War/Terrorism
Spring for 2014-2015
Cultural Representations of War and Mass Violence
The class explores how war and violence in the U.S. and Middle East are documented, depicted and narrated, specifically, how contemporary literature, performance art, photography, film, and social media can be used to create cultures of social awareness, and public feeling. We will discuss: the human body's role and value in the context of war; the functions of gender, sexuality, and torture in “the war on terror”; the ethics of spectating human suffering; the merging of photojournalism and artistic practices, the effects of visual framing in a global contest of images; and the romance and humor of violence. Works will include: The Corpse Exhibition, Standard Operating Procedure, Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq , Operation Atropos, Bare Life Study #1, 7 Jewish Children, Unembedded, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Repetition, Waltz with Bashir. As a Level I elective, the class will emphasize close reading and analysis of written and visual media as well as writing in the form of several short papers.
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