Reading & Composition

Violence is often seen as the opposite of speech. It is what happens when words fail, and communication can only occur through non-linguistic means.  In this course, I would like us to look more closely at this opposition by reading several violent works of literature. What is a violent word, and what is its relationship with physical violence? What is the word’s violence, and who is its target?

The texts of this course are challenging in that they are often of a graphic nature, and, as I do not wish to offend anyone, I recommend that you keep your own preferences and comforts in mind when considering this course. That being said, I do not intend to treat this “heavy” topic too seriously all the time, as looking at it differently might help us come up with different ways to interact with violence, whether it be physical or verbal.

READING LIST:

Euripides, Bacchae

Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus

Mickey Spillane, Kiss Me Deadly

Brian Evanson, Dark Property

James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans