ENGLISH 5C: WISE: Revelation and Apocalypse: Literature at the End of the World 1300-2000
Apocalyptic thinking never goes out of fashion, nor does literature that deals with the end times. This course explores two major categories of apocalyptic thinking-- largely defined by religious and medical discourses--and the connection between the two. From Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, to early modern reckonings inspired by fire and plague, to Romantic-era sci-fi by Mary Shelley, to Station Eleven, a 2014 novel which takes place after an apocalyptic flu pandemic, we will read both millenarians and millennials, considering different visions of the end of the world, and what may come after. We'll also ask, what are the stakes--what historical concerns and cultural obsessions are revealed, after all--in these varied prophetic imaginings?nNote: This Writing-Intensive Seminar in English (WISE) course fulfills WIM for English majors. Non-majors are welcome, space permitting. Enrollment is by permission (contact vbeebe@stanford.edu). For more information go to
https://english.stanford.edu/writing-intensive-seminars-english-wise.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 10 units total)
Instructors:
Smith-Drelich, H. (PI)
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