Utopias and Dystopias

From Plato's Republic to Yevgeny Zamyatin's We , utopian and dystopian literature often examines the fine line between a perfect and an oppressive society. This course explores how utopian and dystopian works confront some of the most pressing sociopolitical concerns of the times. This course will develop your skills as a scholar and writer as you identify, discuss, and write about societies with vast economic, political, gender, religious, and technological ideologies. For example, after reading Alan Moore and David Lloyd's V for Vendetta or Ursula K. Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven , you may write an essay about how dystopian protagonists create change in oppressive societies. You might compare gender roles in Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Herland and Octavia Butler's The Parable of the Sower. You'll write critical essays and create your own utopian or dystopian fiction, and sharpen your prose and ideas while working with your classmates and instructor to workshop and revise your works. Typical Class Size: 16 Course Overview Learning Objectives: Examine rules and underlying ideologies about economics, politics, religions, gender, and technology that shape utopian and dystopian works Use close reading and discussions to evaluate methods and literary techniques that authors use to create immersive worlds Apply critical and creative writing skills while completing four to six writing projects Collaborate with peers in a writing workshop founded on the principles of mutual respect, collegiality, the pursuit of excellence in the craft of writing, and constructive critique