Whiteness in Literature and Popular Culture

Catalog description

After the violent events in Charlottesville in 2017, and especially the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol in 2021, most people have become aware of the extreme form of white political identities that are now a visible presence in our society. What can we learn about the history of whiteness from literature and popular culture? What alternative conception of whiteness, including a consciously anti-racist white identity, can we glean from novels and plays, movies and TV shows? This introductory course uses works by prominent writers (James Baldwin, Toni Morrison) as well as movies (including Get Out and Blindspotting) plus TV shows (Mad Men, Sopranos) to explore these questions.