Reading the Vietnam War
CHUM 344
Spring 2010
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
ENGL 341, AMST 344 |
This course is an exploration of the range of writing that was produced in the United States in response to the Vietnam War, or what the Vietnamese call the "American War." We will focus primarily on writing produced in the years during and immediately after the war but will also read some later responses. Such reading aims to provide insight into the political, cultural, and aesthetic issues that arose from or became implicated in the conflict. Major topics of consideration that will emerge from the readings will be United States imperialism, media representaton, the meaning of student radicalism and militancy, the emergence of PTSD as a clinical and cultural category, feminist discourse, and the critique of masculinity. Some broad questions we will be asking include, How did the nature of the war in Vietnam shape American perceptions about the meaning of war and the legitimacy of violence? How did the war come to inflect already-current discourses surrounding gender, trauma, and imperialism? |
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Essential Capabilities:
Interpretation
This class is focused on the interpretation of texts.
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA CHUM |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Major Requirement for: None |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Schell, Jonathan. THE REAL WAR
McCarthy, Mary. VIETNAM
Herr, Michael. DISPATCHES
Stone, Robert. DOG SOLDIERS
Atwood, Margaret. SURFACING
Mason, Bobbie Ann. IN COUNTRY
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Examinations and Assignments:
Regular short writing assignments; 2 essays; 1 longer final project. |
| Instructor(s): Bachner,Sally Times: .M.W... 11:00AM-12:20PM; Location: CFH106; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 15 | | SR major: 4 | JR major: 4 | | |
| Seats Available: 2 | GRAD: 0 | SR non-major: 4 | JR non-major: 3 | SO: 0 | FR: X |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 4 | 1st Ranked: 1 | 2nd Ranked: 1 | 3rd Ranked: 1 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 1 |
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