Humanities
HUMN 1010-6. Introduction to Humanities 1. Six meetings a week (three discussion classes and three lecture-demonstrations in art and music). Provides an analytical and comparative study of works in literature, music, and visual arts from Aegean to Baroque eras. Emphasizes structure, content, and style in specific examples. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: historical context or literature and the arts.
HUMN 1020-6. Introduction to Humanities 2. Six meetings a week (three discussion classes and three lecture-demonstrations in art and music). Examines from Baroque to contemporary styles in literature, music, and visual arts. Emphasizes the cultural context in which art was created. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: historical context or literature and the arts.
HUMN 1701-3. Nature and Environment in German Literature and Thought. Critically examines titles in German literature and thought. Nature and environment are used to explore alienation, artistic inspiration, nihilism, exploitation, sexuality, rural versus urban, meaning of the earth, cultural renewal, identity and gender. This “green” survey of German classics spans Romanticism’s conception of nature as unconscious spirit to the politics and values of contemporary Germany’s Green party. Same as GRMN 1701. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.
HUMN 2000-3. Methods and Approaches to the Humanities. Provides a transition from the introductory courses to the upper-division courses. Introduces the various technical methods and topics encountered in the department’s comparative, interdisciplinary upper-division courses, including cultural studies, rhetoric, translation, hermeneutics, word/image studies, etc. Prereq., HUMN 1010 or 1020. Restricted to HUMN majors.
HUMN 2100-3. Arts, Culture, and Media. Promotes a better understanding of fundamental aesthetic and cultural issues by exploring competing definitions of art and culture. Sharpens critical and analytical abilities by asking students to read and compare different theories about arts, culture, media, and identity, and then to apply and assess those theories in relation to a selection of visual and verbal texts from a range of cultural and linguistic traditions. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
HUMN 2145-3. African America in the Arts. Introduces interrelationships in the arts of African Americans and the African American contribution to American culture as a whole. Credit not granted for this course and HUMN 3145. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity or U.S. context.
HUMN 2601-3. Kafka and the Kafkaesque. Exposes the students to a wide selection of Kafka’s literary output and aims to define the meaning of the Kafkaesque, by looking not only for traces of Kafka’s influence in the verbal and visual arts, but also for traces left in Kafka’s own work by his precursors in the literary tradition. Taught in English. Same as GRMN 2601. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
HUMN 3015-3. Jung, Film, and Literature. The basic themes of C. G. Jung’s archetypal psychology (shadow, anima/animus, character typology, and individuation) are studied and applied as tools of critical analysis to selected films and literary texts of the modern period. Prereqs., humanities major, or Farrand student and instructor consent. Same as FILM 3022.
HUMN 3092-3. Studies in Humanities. Students should check with the department for specific semester topics. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours, provided the topics vary. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing.
HUMN 3093-3. Topics in Humanities. Students should check with the department for specific semester offerings. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours, provided the topics vary. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing.
HUMN 3104-3. Film Criticism and Theory. Surveys the range and function of film criticism, introduces major positions and concepts of film theory, and focuses on students’ abilities to write about film. Prereq., FILM 1502. Same as FILM 3104.
HUMN 3210-3. Narrative. Explores the nature of sacred and secular narrative in literature, film, and the visual arts. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing. Formerly HUMN 4013.
HUMN 3211-3. The Craft of Mystery. Explores examples of and theories about the formation and growth of the genre of detective fiction, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Explores the social conditions of the times in which the texts were written and the possible resulting influences on style. Compares the texts and theories to examples from other genres and time periods. Prereqs., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing.
HUMN 3220-3. Epic. Comparative and interdisciplinary study of the figure of the hero and the concept of fate in the epic tradition and the modern novel. Explores literary, religious, philosophical, and ethical issues. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing. Formerly HUMN 4023.
HUMN 3230-3. Comedy. Offers an interdisciplinary approach to comedy, examining art, music, literature, and film from different periods. Comic theory interlaced with the study of particular works. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing. Formerly HUMN 3033.
HUMN 3240-3. Tragedy. Studies some of the great tragic works of art, music, and literature from the Greeks to the 20th century. Tragic theory is invoked as an aid to interpretation. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing. Formerly HUMN 3043.
HUMN 3250-3. Dramatic Arts. Interdisciplinary course that examines and compares various forms of the dramatization of narrative: written texts, audiotapes, videotapes, film, and live performance. Compares different versions of the same narrative or theme, especially if different media are used and different time periods are involved. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing. Formerly HUMN 4133.
HUMN 3321-3. Culture and Literature of Ancient China. Focuses on the religious, cultural, philosophical, and literary aspects of ancient Chinese civilization (1500 B.C.–A.D. 200). Special attention is paid to foundational works that influenced later developments in Chinese culture. All readings are in English. Recommended prereq., EALC 1011 or CHIN 1051. Same as CHIN 3321.
HUMN 3341-3. Literature and Popular Culture in Modern China. Surveys 20th century Chinese (including Taiwanese) literature and popular culture against the historical background of rebellion, revolution, and reform. Emphasizes close and critical reading skills and an understanding of how aesthetic texts reflect and critically engage with historical and cultural experiences. Assignments include novels, essays, short stories, poems, plays, songs, films, and scholarly articles. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts. Recommended prereq., EALC 1011 or CHIN 1051. Same as CHIN 3341.
HUMN 3505-3. The Enlightenment: Tolerance and Emancipation. Examines the Enlightenment belief in reason and the common humanity of all individuals and cultures. Emphasizes arguments for and against freedom of religion, abolition of slavery, and emancipation of women in 18th-century European and American literature and thought. Same as GRMN 3505. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.
HUMN 3550-3. Imag(in)ing Meaning. Explores the role of imagination in constructing narratives of meaning through close readings of various genres (fiction, poetry, manifesto, essay) various modes of artistic expression (art, film, photography, documentary), and essays of critical theory. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing.
HUMN 3590-3. Modern Literature and the Bible: A Case Study in Intertextuality. Alternating between close readings of biblical texts and works by such authors as Beckett, O’Connor, Dostoevsky, Garcia Marquez, as well as film, this class explores the complex interaction between modern literature and the Bible in respect to ideals, ideas, symbols. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.
HUMN 3660-3. The Postmodern. Analyzes the cultural and critical practices as well as the thought that defines the postmodern period at the end of twentieth century. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
HUMN 3702-3. Dada and Surrealist Literature. Surveys the major theoretical concepts and literary genres of the Dada and Surrealist movements. Topics include Dada performance and cabaret, the manifesto, montage, the readymade, the Surrealist novel, colonialism and the avant-garde, and literary and philosophical precursors to the avant-garde. Taught in English. Same as GRMN 3702. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
HUMN 3811-3. Classical Japanese Literature in Translation. Surveys the major works and authors of classical Japanese literature, both poetry and prose, from the earliest historical records and literary anthologies through the Heian period (784–1185). Taught in English. Recommended prereq., JPNS 1051. Same as JPNS 3811.
HUMN 3820-3. Greek and Roman Antiquity in Music, 1600 to Present. Explores the influence of Greek and Roman mythology and history on various genres of music since 1600. Explains the context and meaning of ancient themes and their use by composers from the Renaissance to the present. Recommended prereq., CLAS 1100. Same as CLAS 3820.
HUMN 3841-3. Modern Japanese Literature in Translation. Surveys the major works, authors, and genres of literature from the late Meiji period and 20th century in their historical and cultural contexts. Attention is given to various approaches of literary analysis and interpretation. Taught in English. Recommended prereq., JPNS 1051. Same as JPNS 3841.
HUMN 3930 (1-6). Humanities Internship. Students gain academic credit and professional experience working in museums, galleries, arts administration, and publishing. They work 3–18 hours per week with their professional supervisor and meet regularly with a faculty advisor who determines the reading and writing requirements. Prereqs., junior standing and interview with faculty advisor.
HUMN 3935 (1-3). Humanities Internship: Literature and Social Violence. See HUMN 4835. Credit not granted for this course and HUMN 2935. Coreq., HUMN 4835.
HUMN 4000-3. The Question of Romanticism. Interdisciplinary study of literature, art, and music from 1780 to 1830 in France, England, and Germany. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or restricted to juniors/seniors. Credit not granted for this course and HUMN 4102.
HUMN 4004-3. Topics in Film Theory. Provides topic-centered analyses of controversial areas in film theory. Students read extensive materials in the topic area, analyze and summarize arguments as presented in the literature, write “position” papers, and make oral presentations in which they elaborate their own arguments about specific assigned topic, establishing critical dialogue with the primary materials. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours. Prereq., FILM 3051 or instructor consent. Restricted to senior FILM, FMST, or HUMN majors. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: critical thinking. Same as FILM 4004 and ARTF 5004.
HUMN 4010-3. Hitchcock and Freud. Applies Freudian psychoanalysis to the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Students will familiarize themselves with the Freudian methodology by reading a number of books and essays and then apply both Freud’s general ideas as well as specific texts to particular aspects, both formal and contentual, of his films. Particular attention will be given to the important field of “feminism and psychoanalysis” as it relates to the study of the role of women in Hitchcock’s films. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or restricted to juniors and seniors.
HUMN 4020-3. Reading, Chance, and Guessing. Considers the method of the humanities relationship to those of the natural and social sciences, especially in view of their respective ability or claim to predict the future and to master chance. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing.
HUMN 4030-3: The Art of Travel. Examines the art of travel: not where to go and what to do, but rather the philosophical concepts about why people travel. Areas of discussion will include Exploration, Discovery, Escape, Pilgrimage, the Grand Tour, Expatriotism, Exile, Nomadism, Armchair Travel, and the Sense of Home. Materials will include books by travel writers, novels, films, essays, short stories, art, music, and historical documents.
HUMN 4060-3. Reading Theory. Explores, through guided discussions, the concept of theory itself and how a theory is constructed. Emphasizes the close reading of theory in order to learn to analyze critically, considering theory as something to be thought about rather than simply applied. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing.
HUMN 4082-3. 19th Century Art and Literature. Interdisciplinary study of English fiction and poetry together with related movements in visual arts. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing.
HUMN 4092-3. Advanced Studies in the Humanities. Students should check with the department for specific semester topics. May be repeated up to 9 total credit hours. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing.
HUMN 4093-3. Advanced Topics in the Humanities. Students should check with the department for specific semester offerings. May be repeated up to 9 total credit hours. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing.
HUMN 4110-3. Greek and Roman Epic. Students read in English translation the major epics of Greco-Roman antiquity such as the Iliad, Odyssey, Argonautica, Aeneid, and Metamorphoses. Topics discussed may include the nature of classical epic, its relation to the novel, and its legacy. No Greek or Latin required. Same as CLAS 4110. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
HUMN 4120-3. Greek and Roman Tragedy. Intensive study of selected tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca in English translation. No Greek or Latin required. Same as CLAS 4120. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
HUMN 4130-3. Greek and Roman Comedy. Studies Aristophanes, Plautus, and Terence in English translation. No Greek or Latin required. Same as CLAS 4130. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
HUMN 4131-3. The Greek and Roman Novel. Studies five surviving complete Greek novels from classical antiquity, three Latin novels, and their predecessors and contemporary neighbors in the genres of Greek prose fiction. Readings in English translation. No required prerequisite, but a previous course in classical literature or myth is recommended. Same as CLAS 4140/5140.
HUMN 4135-3. Art and Psychoanalysis. Explores psychoanalytic theory as it relates to our understanding of literature, film, and other arts. After becoming familiar with some essential Freudian notions (repression, narcissism, ego/libido, dream work, etc.), students apply these ideas to works by several artists (e.g., Flaubert, James, Kafka, Hoffmann, and Hitchcock). Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
HUMN 4140-3. The Age of Dante: Readings from The Divine Comedy. Focuses on close reading of Dante’s poetry with emphasis on the intellectual, religious, political, and scientific background of the medieval world. Taught in English. Prereq., junior standing or instructor consent. Same as ITAL 4140. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
HUMN 4150-3. The Decameron and the Age of Realism. Analyzes the rise of realism in 13th and 14th century Italian literature and parallel manifestations in the visual arts. Focuses on Boccaccio’s Decameron and contemporary realistic prose and poetry with emphasis on gender issues and medieval cultural diversity. Taught in English. Prereq., junior standing or instructor consent. Same as ITAL 4150. Approved for arts and science core curriculum: human diversity or literature and the arts.
HUMN 4155-3. Philosophy, Art, and the Sublime. Explores philosophies of art, theories of the sublime, and the relation between art and morality through philosophy, literature, and the visual arts. Includes works by Plato, Longinus, Burke, Rousseau, Kant, Mary Shelley, Melville, Friedrich, Turner, and Pollock. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.
HUMN 4502-3. Nietzsche: Literature and Values. Emphasis is placed on Nietzsche’s major writings spanning the years 1872-1888, with particular attention to the critique of Western values. A systematic exploration of doctrines, concepts, and ideas leading to the values of creativity. Restricted to sophomores/juniors/seniors. Same as GRMN 4502. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.
HUMN 4504-3. Goethe’s Faust. Systematic study of the Faust motif in Western literature, with major emphasis on Faust I and II by Goethe and Thomas Mann’s Doctor Faustus. Same as GRMN 4504/5504 and COML 5504. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
HUMN 4555-3. The Arts of Interpretation. Introduces various hermeneutical methodologies (literary/philosophical criticism, biblical exegesis, art history, etc.) with which to examine the question of interpretation. Methodologies are studied in close conjunction with particular works of art. Prereq., HUMN 2000 or junior/senior standing.
HUMN 4730-3. Italian Feminisms: Culture, Theory, and Narratives of Difference. Studies Italian women writers, artists, and film makers of this century. Literary and visual texts are analyzed in dialogue with readings of leading Italian gender theorists. Italian history and culture is reread by following the development of a discourse about women. Taught in English; readings in Italian for Italian majors. Same as ITAL 4730. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity.
HUMN 4811-3. 19th Century Russian Literature. Surveys background of Russian literature from 1800 to 1900. Russian writers and literary problems in the 19th century emphasizing major authors: Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Chekhov. Same as RUSS 4811. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
HUMN 4821-3. 20th Century Russian Literature and Art. Interdisciplinary course emphasizing the influence of art in 20th century Russian literature. Follows the changing cultural landscape from the time when Russia was in the vanguard of modern European literature to the gradual cultural relaxation that culminated in perestroika and glasnost. Same as RUSS 4821. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
HUMN 4835-3. Literature and Social Violence. Provides a theoretical understanding of heightened awareness arising from literary and sociological investigations of contemporary sources of social violence (gang culture, racism, domestic violence), combined with the concrete knowledge offered by an internship in a social service agency. Optional internship credit is available. Restricted to sophomores/juniors/seniors. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: contemporary societies.
HUMN 4840 (1-3). Independent Study. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours.
HUMN 4990-3. Senior Humanities Seminar. In-depth interdisciplinary study of a selected topic in humanities. Prereqs., 6 hours of upper-division humanities, senior standing, and 3.00 GPA in humanities.
