The Hero in World Literature

Catalog description

The figure of the hero/heroine examined in world literature as a vehicle for expressing social and cultural values. CMLIT 11 The Hero in World Literature (3) (GH;IL)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. This course will examine the concept of heroism and of heroes throughout the world in different time periods and different literary genres. We will examine different types of heroes and theories of heroism, as well as gender relations involved in concepts of heroes/heroines, and the roles of anti-heroes, villainous heroes, and the enemies of heroes. Heroes represent the most ideal values of a particular society. By examining heroes revered by a variety of societies, a greater awareness of values both specific to individual cultures and universal across cultures can be reached. Through comparisons of a variety of heroes, literary and social roles in the formulation and manipulation of heroic types can be assessed. The objectives of this course include expanding students' awareness of the values of different cultures, examining the consequences of value systems as explored in literature, and increasing their skills of critical analysis on a body of literature designed to encourage the student to accept, reject, or question specific ideas of good and evil, proper behavior, and appropriate action within cultural contexts. CMLIT 11 is one of the many choices of survey courses which count towards the Comparative Literature major and the World Literature minor. This course also fulfills the General Education Humanities requirement, the Bachelor of Arts Humanities requirement, or the United States and International requirement.