Studies in Small Screen Narrative

Catalog description

This course features analysis of television and web narrative. Shows under consideration will rotate from semester to semester, but could include epic cable-television series such as The Sopranos, Mad Men, Fargo, Breaking Bad, and/or Game of Thrones; web-based shows, such as Americana and The Lizzie Bennett Diaries; and online series such as Transparent, House of Cards, and Orange is the New Black. Reading these series from the perspective of cultural and textual studies, the course aims to give students the tools to analyze the narrative structure, thematic concerns, cultural significance, and visual techniques of these series. The course will help students better understand popular media representations of social roles and the place of seriality in contemporary culture. Prerequisite(s): WRT 101 .