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Academic Year 2004/2005


Food, Drugs, and Enlightenment
ENGL 119 SP

Literature uses food as a magical object, as a mark of personal identity ("Tell me what you eat," writes Brillat-Savarin, "and I will tell you what you are"), as a technology of consciousness, and as local color. This class uses literary examples to introduce some topics in the history and theory of food. Topics will include: preservation, taste, poison/intoxication, cannibalism, monoculture, starvation, waste. Examples will include: novels, plays, poems, memoirs, essays, and cookbooks.

MAJOR READINGS

Readings will be selected from literary texts by Jonson, Swift, Rowlandson, Franklin, Rousseau, De Quincey, Dickens, Carroll, Gogol, Pym, and others. We will also read some historical and theoretical works by Schivelbusch, Mintz, and Canetti, and recipes by various authors.

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Frequent short writing assignments; presentation; final paper or project.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: HA ENGL    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Kunin,Aaron B.   
Times: .M.W... 01:10PM-02:30PM;     Location: CRT271;
Reserved Seats:    (Total Limit: 19)
SR. major: X   Jr. major: X
SR. non-major: X   Jr. non-major: X   SO: X   FR: 19

Special Attributes:
Curricular Renewal:    Writing
FYI:    FYI Seminar
Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-21-2005


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