Faculty First Year Seminars 191EW3 - Ghosts

Whether you believe in them or not, ghosts have become a ubiquitous presence in our culture. On TV you might come across one of several paranormal investigation shows; in literature you might read a ghost story from Edgar Allan Poe or Angela Flournoy; you might even overhear people talk about hauntings at the Deerfield Inn or Smith College?s Sessions House. This course will explore the cultural meanings of ghosts and haunted places. While we won?t be concerned with answering the question of whether ghosts exist, we will instead explore what they mean to us and why ghosts have had an arguably increasing presence in our culture. To do so, we will study fiction, television, film, visual arts in addition to nonfictional accounts of hauntings in order to determine the myriad meanings and representations of the paranormal. To guide our studies, we will also look at scholarly articles that explain our cultural fascination with the afterlife.

First year (Fr or Soph)