English 120 - COLQ: LITERATURE & WAR

Each colloquium is conducted by means of directed discussion, with emphasis on close reading and the writing of short analytical essays. Priority is given to incoming students in the fall-semester sections of the colloquia. Other students should consult the course director about possible openings. Enrollment in each section limited to 20.: We read a selection of texts (poems, plays, novels, memoirs, graphic novels, essays) about war. Working with a wide range of texts from the Trojan War to the contemporary occupation in Iraq, we consider the subtle ways that war alters everyday life, temporality, identity, and memory, and investigate the ethical, political, and psychological problems that emerge during wartime. We pay particular attention to the effect of war on memory and forgetting, the politics of mourning, how literature represents trauma and how violence alters literary form.

Topic: Literature and War.