HONR 205 - It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)

Institution:

Alfred University

Subject:

Honors

Description:

This class will study the notion of the apocalypse or "the end of the world" in mythology, literature, film, graphic novels, and science. Why are people drawn to these stories, and why do we continue to tell them? What do the different causes/incarnations of The End say about our culture? And how the heck did the darkest apocalyptic novel in recent memory end up as an Oprah Book Club selection? We will begin by considering early apocalyptic myths, such as the floods in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Old Testament. We will then move on to such novels as Kurt Vonnegut's 'Cat's Cradle', Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road' and Tim LaHaye's 'Left Behind', films such as 'On the Beach', 'Planet of the Apes' and 'Children of Men', the graphic novel 'Y: The Last Man', and other eschatological texts. We will also consider the new popular science book 'The World Without Us', which explores what would become of the planet Earth and its natural and manmade structures if human beings suddenly ceased to exist. The course will culminate with a "Design Your Own Apocalypse" project, in which students either write their own fictional end-of-the-world stories, or present a scientifically-based what-if scenario (dirty bombs? global warming? the die-off of honeybees?) that could spell disaster for our culture.

Credits:

2.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.alfred.edu

Phone Number:

(607) 871-2111

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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