Memory and the Literary Imagination: Conceptions of Remembering from Shakespeare to the Present

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What cause do we have to remember? How humans engage with and conceive of the past has been the focus of philosophical and literary study for thousands of years. Whether conceptualized as a form of identity formation, a source of motivation, or an opportunity for reconciliation, memory is deeply integrated into how we think. Throughout this course, we will discuss the influences of memory on individual and collective levels by studying an assortment of poetry, novels, drama, and film. Readings will include texts by William Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf, Toni Morrison, Ilya Kaminsky, and Emily St. John Mandel. No previous experience with literary scholarship necessary.