HLE 209 - Apocalyptic Narratives

Course Units: 1

In contemporary global culture there is a fascination with apocalyptic narratives. From plagues or zombies to natural disasters or catastrophic human-triggered events, narratives contemplating human extinction and dystopic scenarios abound in cultural production (literature, cinema, television). The term “apocalypse” is a great metaphor for plague, extinction, and catastrophe; it denotes terror, finality, reckoning, or risk. This course is conceived as a zone of inquiry in which students will explore the concept of apocalypse from diverse academic perspectives, from cultural studies, political history and national security to pandemics, late capitalism, and climate change studies. Students will be expected to produce a research paper, which will be informed and guided by regular readings, weekly writing exercises, film forums, presentations and debates CC: GCAD, GCHF, GLIT, WAC-R ISP: AMS, ENS, FLM, GSWS, STS