LIT141 HM - Monsters in Literature

Credit(s): 3

Instructor(s): Dadabhoy

Description: Our culture is fascinated by things that are weird, strange, horrifying, and grotesque. In other words, we’re fascinated by monsters, those others that stand at the margins of human, civilized society, threatening us by their very existence. Are monsters only very scary things, or do they have a social and cultural function? In this course we will take up this and other questions as we investigate the nature of the monstrous. Moreover, we will explore the libidinal charge that the recognition of the monstrous or unnatural being evokes. Thus, we will examine both the physical and psychological permutations of monstrosity. In this course, we will consider monsters in their non-human, alien, and technological forms as well as some truly terrifying human monsters.

HSA Course Area(s): Literature
HSA Writing Intensive: Yes