Working-class Themes in Literature ((4 Credits))

Catalog description

Participants in this class examine the ways that the working class has (and hasn’t) been portrayed in literary works. In particular, students read literary texts that illustrate and explore working-class characters and problems, such as the relationship of the working class to society at large. In addition to exposing students to conventions of a range of literary forms, the class also allows participants to analyze how the working-class has (and hasn’t) been portrayed in literature, and to assess how literature can contribute to the effort to build solidarity and to imagine a society that is better for workers. This course is only offered in-person at the college’s Harry J. Van Arsdale, Jr. School of Labor Studies in New York City.