The myths, legends, epics, sagas, and fairy tales that we usually associate with Romance literature were rediscovered in the 18th and 19th centuries and are still being rewritten today as both popular and subversive expressions of cultural movements. Fantasy is universal and is the framework for fictions that examine cultural norms. This course is a survey of fantasy literature intended to introduce students to major works of fantasy and familiarize them with the variety, importance and conventions of the fantasy tradition in Western literature. The tales and novels in this course include representative fantasies from several time periods and genres, beginning with the second century C.E. Greek romance of Cupid and Psyche, Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Ursula K. LeGuin’s A Wizard of Earthsea, several fairy tales and short stories, and N. K. Jemisin’s The City We Became.
Foundations Program
This course fulfills the Forum requirement in the Foundations Program.
Semester Offered
Fall