Blockseminar (May 5-June 5, details tba)
One of the curious features of Canadian literature is the prevalence of animals. A feature previously observed in the national literary tradition, it was Margaret Atwood who in Survival, her handbook of 1972, claimed the ”‘realistic’ animal story” as ”a genre which provides a key to an important facet of the Canadian psyche.” While Atwood’s observations undoubtedly raised critical awareness of an intriguing quality of Canadian literature since the 19th century, subsequent generations of readers and critics have not always followed her lead in interpreting the animal as symbolic representation of the national character.
In the present course, we will examine a series of Canadian novels about animals published since Atwood’s influential claims. Our goal will be to read each novel with regard to its particular thematic and formal qualities, while also considering the manner in which the depicted animals are both symbolic representations of human concerns and also real contextualised beings whose very ”animalness” makes of them a fascinating ”other.”
Tentative List of Required Reading:
Marian Engel, Bear, 1976
Barbara Gowdy, The White Bone, 1999
Colin McAdam, A Beautiful Truth, 2014
André Alexis, Fifteen Dogs: An Apologue, 2015
Course Requirements: Class Participation
Presentation on a relevant topic of the student’s choice
Final essay of approximately 15 pp. |
