What can literature do for the ecological crisis? What does ecological thought do to literature? This course introduces students to ecocriticism: the study of literature through an environmental lens. We will delve into critical themes of environmental thought such as the Anthropocene, decolonialism, and the divisions of life (human/animal/natural/the Other). Materials studied range from a variety of formats (movies, literary fictions, plays, songs, graphic novels, and essays) and may include works by Aimé Césaire, Vinciane Despret, Jessica Oublié, Maboula Soumahoro, and Malcom Ferdinand. Thinking about the environmental crisis students are encouraged to engage with ideas and representations of the human, philosophical reflections on relation, and speculative fictions. Intermediate-high level. Conducted in French.
Learning Outcomes:
Build proficiency and efficiency in written and spoken French
Be able to analyze and connect literature and fiction to broader social questions such as ecology
Be able to identify and critique different types of discourses and narratives
Narrating and arguing in paragraph-level connected discourse
Become independent learners
Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Prerequisites: Interested students should contact Stephen Shapiro (sshapiro@bennington.edu) for registration.
Course Level: 4000-level
Credits: 4
M/Th 3:40PM - 5:30PM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 18
Course Frequency: One time only
Categories: 4000 , All courses , Four Credit , French , Fully In-Person , New Courses , Updates
Tags: