ENGL W3730 - America in the World: Melville to Pynchon

Institution:

Columbia University in the City of New York

Subject:

Description:

This course traces a history of transnational American literature since the mid-nineteenth century. The syllabus includes Melville's portrayal of Pacific expeditions, the modernists' wandering poetics, literary conceptions of black internationalism and leftist internationalism in the interwar period, the Beats' engagement with global cultures during the early Cold War, and representations of U.S. foreign entanglements in contemporary American writers. Among other topics, our discussions will focus on corporeal and psychic reactions to foreign adventures, immigration, and travels under the condition of capitalist globalization. In other words, we'll examine how our writers reflect on the re-organization of the body in globalization, even as they seek to understand the shifting position of the U.S. in the world. Literary readings: Herman Melville's Moby Dick, Djuna Barnes's Nightwood, WEB DuBois's Dark Princess, Claude McKay's Banjo, William Burroughs's Naked Lunch, Vladimir Nabokov's Pale Fire, and Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow. The course will conclude with a foray into a small number of theoretical readings on the "biopolitics" of globalization. E-mail Professor Jin (wj2130@columbia.edu) by noon on April 11th with the subject heading "Melville/ Pynchon seminar." In your message, include basic information: your name, school, major, year of study, and relevant courses taken, along with a brief statement about why you are interested in taking the course.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.columbia.edu

Phone Number:

(212) 854-1754

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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