In this course, we will examine a wide array of literary and non-literary materials relating to the human-environment relationship. In an attempt to situate and understand the cultural dimensions of certain specific questions, such as the challenges of wilderness preservation or the advantages and disadvantages of urban (or suburban) life, we will carefully pour over images, literary texts, case reports, legislation, newspaper articles, scientific studies and other things that come to our attention. During the semester, our conversation will traverse the four ‘locations’ listed as the course topic. Our discussions will not be solely thematic. We will pay as much attention to how things are said or represented as to what is being said. Hopefully, our perambulations will enable us to see a variety of narratives, different ways of conceiving of and representing the human-environment relationship, each with its own particular form of cultural efficacy. These narratives will, I think, have some explanatory force for us as we confront the environmental challenges of our contemporary moment.

As a convenience, we will focus on the U.S., but our discussions will be relevant, I believe, to other histories, and you will be free to pursue research topics outside the U.S. context. We’ll talk about and work on the skills needed to produce a substantial piece of research.

Intended Audience:

English Honors Students

Class Format:

Discussion