HONR-2160 : Literatures of Resistance

Significant shifts in political and economic systems invite resistance in various forms, and yet many who dare to speak truth to power or express subversive points of view are silenced and/or persecuted. This course will examine various literatures that were considered subversive, dangerous, or in violation of dominant doctrines of a particular time and place. We will explore the contexts that influenced writers to engage in literary acts of resistance, and we will consider why and how writers subverted prevalent ideologies. Many writers risked their lives to demand that readers see the limitations of a particular worldview and shift perspectives, and we will consider the legacies of writers who dared to challenge dominant ideologies of their time.