Utopian Thought and Literature GL 334
Dr. Julia Williams, A211, x8186
A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not even worth glancing at, for it leaves out the one country at which Humanity is always landing. And when Humanity lands there, it looks out, and seeing a better country, sets sail. Progress is the realisation of Utopias.
Oscar Wilde, 1891
The utopian impulse in thought and literature is generally expressed in two ways: on the one hand, it can be seen at work in texts specifically designated “utopias” (More’s Utopia, most prominently); on the other hand, it can be broadly interpreted as an almost universal desire for transformative liberation, fundamental to a wide variety of cultural productions and practices. This course will attempt to consider both senses of the term by having students read works traditionally regarded as utopias, as well as those in which the utopian element is integrated into a novelistic text. We will also discuss utopian cultural practices, turning our attention to sites not usually regarded as utopian: the contemporary shopping mall, popular music, advertisements, housing developments, software manufacture, and so on. Along the way, students will be encouraged to think about the practical liberational value of utopian forms, as well as their critical problems as plans for action.
Readings:
| week 0 |
“The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” Ursula Le Guin (handout) Examples of utopian influences in contemporary culture |
| week 1 | Selections from The Republic, Plato |
| week 2 |
Utopia, Thomas More (Penguin, 1965, 0-14-044165-4) |
| week 3 |
Disney's Celebration (handouts) |
| week 4 |
Looking Backward, Edward Bellamy (Signet, 2000, 0-451-52763-1)
|
| week 5 | Herland, Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Signet, 1992,
0-451-52562-0) Essay 1 due Friday, October 10 in class |
| week 6 | Sims and SimCity (handout) Exam 1 in class on Tuesday, October 14 |
| week 7 | Circuit of Heaven, Dennis Danvers (Avon, 1999, 0-380-79092-0) |
| week 8 | The Dispossessed, Ursula K. Le Guin (Harper, 1994, 0-061-05488-7) |
| week 9 | Real World Utopias: “No Place Like Home” and “Enclosed. Encyclopedic. Endured.”, David Guterson (handouts) |
| week 10 | Student Presentations Exam 2 in class on Friday, November 14 Essay 2 due Monday, November 17 by noon Submission to RosE-Portfolio due on Monday, November 17 by noon |
Course Requirements and Policies:
Attendance is required.
Grades will be determined roughly as follows:
Essays 2 @ 20% 40%
Group Presentation 15%
Midterm Exam 15%
Final Exam 15%
Quizzes, in-class writing, class participation, RosE portfolio submission, etc. 15%
You will write two essays, approximately 4-6 pages in length. All essays must be typed, double-spaced using reasonable fonts (e.g., Times New Roman 12 pt.) and margins (one-inch approximately). You will also complete a group presentation, the details of which follow. There will be several short, in-class writing assignments, weekly quizzes, a midterm and a final exam. The final exam will not be cumulative.
Group Presentation:
Given the general communitarian nature of utopias, students will also be required to complete a group project, in which they present their own ideas for utopian living. Each group of 4 students will be responsible for a 20-minute group presentation. The project is an opportunity for your group to apply the utopian principles and forms we have discussed in class in innovative and creative ways. Thus, you may choose a variety of ways to present your ideas: by describing the elements of your utopian society, by presenting artifacts peculiar to it, by showing films of it, by taking the class on a tour of it, by presenting the utopia’s website, by demonstrating the utopia’s art, dance, or other cultural practices. Generally you may indulge your own utopian impulses to imagine a better, or even perfect, society, as you engage with the problems inherent in its realization. Obviously, this project will take some time to prepare, but I hope that the cooperation and adaptation which form a part of group work will themselves have a utopian effect.
Lateness Policy:
All essays are due in class on the dates specified on the syllabus. Group projects and readings are due at class time on the date specified on the syllabus. Submitting late work will result in the lowering of your final grade on the essay one letter grade per day that it is late. There will be no opportunity to revise an essay for a higher grade after the due date. You must take all the exams, write all the essays, and complete a group project in order to pass this class.
Online Resources:
New York Public Library: Online Utopia Exhibition
The Principality of New Utopia
Utopia-EU Transportation System