LA 381 - The Magical in Global Literature,Art and Film

Institution:

The Boston Conservatory

Subject:

Description:

3 hours weekly; 3 credits How is magic different from religion or science? Is it an illegitimate source of power and knowledge? Why is magic often associated with marginalized people or groups? Is magic a form of escapism? What is the relation between magic and desire, magic and ritual, magic and protest? Why do we need magic? This course will address these questions by examining specific case samples taken from English, Latin American, and Japanese sources. We will examine the anime films of Hayao Miyazaki and the wizardly world invented by J.K. Rowling to consider the connection between magic, nature, and innocence. We will also study the magical realist works of Latin American writers and artists like Juan Rulfo, Isabel Allende, and Frida Kahlo and explore the role that the surreal, unexplained, and paranormal play as commentary or critique of social, political or psychological states. Finally, looking at magical representation in the works of other nationalities such as Japanese writer Haruki Murakami will enable us to compare similarities and differences in various cultural approaches to the magical. Required Texts: Celia Correas de Zapata, ed., Short Stories by Latin American Women; Haruki Murakami, The Elephant Vanishes; J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone; Juan Rulfo, Pedro Paramo

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.bostonconservatory.edu

Phone Number:

(617) 536-6340

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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