ENGL 20144 - The Pursuits of Happiness and the Novel

Institution:

University of Notre Dame

Subject:

English

Description:

What does it mean to "pursue happiness?" Is happiness found in the fulfillment of passion, necessity, or in the rejection of both? Is it found in the acceptance of God's providence and the realization of salvation, or is happiness an escape from history and what history has taught us about meaning? According to the Declaration of Independence, the pursuit of happiness is an inalienable human right. But what exactly does that right entail? These and other questions will be at the heart of this course's investigation of the history and formal features of the novel. The selection of novels will include works by Voltaire, Jane Austen, and Ian McEwan, just to name a few, which we will read alongside a short selection of philosophical and political texts pertinent to our investigation into what it means to pursue "happiness."

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nd.edu

Phone Number:

(574) 631-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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