In this course, we will explore why this genre endures and how the sea in literature is affected by and has affected notions of identity in terms of gender, race, class, and nation. We will engage with life upon the sea as it is presented in the literature of voyages of discovery, exploration, commerce, and war. This is a writing intensive course designed to develop both analytical and communicative skills. Students will be expected to come to class not only ready to discuss what they have read but also what they have written. We will engage and discuss poetry, short stories, novels, and film.
Readings are to be done before the day of the class assigned.
On the first day of class, students will vote on whether they want to have a midterm and a final exam, or to keep a journal over the course of the semester. This syllabus is subject to change. Tony Tanner, ed., The Oxford Book of Sea Stories Herman Melville, Benito Cereno. On the first day of class, students will vote on whether they want a midterm and a final exam, or to keep a journal over the course of the semester. The requirements for the journal will be explained in this first class.