POLS 236 - Political Novels

Institution:

Simmons University

Subject:

Description:

We will approach works by a variety of novelists with a particular interest in their observations on human nature and politics. Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart allows us to explore the origins and destruction of political society, as well as the effects of European colonialism in Africa. Joseph Conrad's Nostromo shows us the failing of modern politics which relies solely on technology, the conquest of nature, and the faith that material wealth will lead to happiness and the common good. Fyodor Dostoevsky examines human freedom, that problem of veil, the political problem of atheism, and the origins of communism. Alexander Solzhenitsyn explores the effects of communist ideology on human nature and character. Finally, Erich Maria Remarque explores the relationship between the individual and the state and the problem of statelessness in the Interwar period.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.simmons.edu

Phone Number:

(617) 521-2000

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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