MALA 60333 War Stories: A Study Through Literature and Film
Prerequisites: Enrollment in the MLA program from Homer's The Iliad to Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carry to Ben Fountain's Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, we learn about humankind at war. We read of glory and victory. We read of death and destruction. We also gain insight into the hearts and minds of those involved, from the military men and women who fight and the family members who love them to the people in the societies caught in the center of the conflict. We see the struggles they face, hopefully, learning about not only history and the harsh realities of wartime but also the human condition. Thus, this class will focus on war stories, from the ancient past to the very present, fiction and non-fiction, from epic poems, novels, and films to narratives from the soldiers themselves. As we read the war stories and watch them emerge on film, we will analyze the content and discuss the impact not just on those involved but all of humanity.