ENGL 2605

Cannibals, Vampires, Colonizers, and Other Fearsome Figures in Native American Literature

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2015-2016.

Native American depictions of human interactions with frightening beings can help readers appreciate Indigenous perspectives and experiences. That is, when contemporary Indigenous writers repurpose features of gothic, fantasy, sci-fi, or environmentalist fiction, their reimagined insatiable antagonists are almost universally formed as critical representations of colonialism, while monstrosity emerges from transgressions against Indigenous values and relationships. In reading for this course, we'll examine Indigenous depictions of voracious beings, the relationships these fearsome figures attempt to disrupt, and the means by which protagonists fight their demons. Through the lens of critical Indigenous theory and a sampling of short stories, novels, ethnographies, historical readings, and films, this course will examine how Native American authors continue a long-established practice of balancing relationships through storytelling and story-writing.

When Offered Spring.

Distribution Category (CA-AS)

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