ENG 337 THE LITERATURE OF PASSING

THE LITERATURE OF PASSING

Explorations of various forms of "passing"—black as white, Jew as gentile, woman as man, gay as straight—in literature and film. Issues include the notion of a visible or marked "identity," motives for passing, comparisons between different forms of passing, and meanings of "coming out." Literary works to be studied may include Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Larsen's Passing, Chesnutt's The House Behind the Cedars, Hong's Minor Feelings, Bennett's The Vanishing Half, and Peters's Detransition, Baby. Film and television may include Paris Is Burning, Philadelphia, Carol, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Europa Europa, and episodes of Mad Men. Secondary readings in feminist, gay and lesbian/queer, and critical race theory.

Credits

4

Cross Listed Courses

This is the same course as GWS 337.

Prerequisite

Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. For sophomores, ENG 250 is strongly recommended.

Enrollment Limit

Enrollment limited to 18 students.

Attributes

MOIB, MOIE, SDP, W