Reading the Animal: Animals in U.S. Literature and Culture

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Animal Studies is a quickly evolving, already rich and various, if at the same time highly overdue, field of interdisciplinary studies. The course will present the theoretical grounds and analyze some examples of literature and film from the perspective of animal studies.

Animal Studies is a quickly evolving, already rich and various, if at the same time highly overdue, field of interdisciplinary studies. The course will present the theoretical grounds and analyze some examples of literature and film from the perspective of animal studies.

We will speculate about the reasons why the nonhuman animals are only now gaining proper attention: what philosophical, ideological, religious, political and economic reasons have legitimized anthropocentrism and the exclusion and exploitation of the animal world. As the literary and cinematic examples we analyze testify, that world has always been the source of our fascination, sometimes fear or disgust, and sometimes affection. Attention given to the nonhuman animals reveals the ways we understand ourselves and enables a reflection on societal structures and values, which guide our relations to other species. Some of the topic we are likely to address are:

On killing animals

On owning animals

The zoo

What is speciesm? What is its relation to racism, ableism, sexism?

How are animals “gendered” and interpreted through ideas about gender, family, and the nation?

Animal liberation as a social justice movement

Endangered Species

Animal rights

The relationship of animal exploitation to other forms of human exploitation

Selections from:

Acampora, Ralph. R, Corporal Compassion

Berger, John. “Why Look at Animals”

Broglio, Ron. “Incidents in the Animal Revolution.”

Cavel, Stanley, et al, Philosophy and Animal Life

Coetzee, The Lives of Animals

Deleuze, Gilles, on “becoming-animal.”

Derrida, Jacques. The Animal That Therefore I Am.

GLQ 2015 issue on queer inhumanisms.

Joy, Melanie. Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows: an Introduction to Carnism.

Matsukoa, Atsuko, and John Sorenson. Critical Animal Studies: Towards a Trans-Species Social Justice

Nocella, Anthony, et.al., Defining Critical Animal Studies

Nyong’o, Tavia. “Little Monsters. Race, Sovereignty, and Queer Inhumanism in Beasts of the Southern Wild”

Pick, Anat. Creaturely Poetics.

Rediker, Marcus. The Fearless Benjamin Lay

Singer, Peter. Animal Liberation: The Definitive Classic of the Animal Movement

Tyler, Tom. Animal Encounters.

Waldau, Paul. Animal Studies. An Introduction.

Wolfe, Cary. Animal Rites.

We may do a section on dogs (perhaps in the form of group projects), with selections from a broad array of texts, such as: Franz Kafka, “Investigations of a Dog”; Mikhail Bulgakov, “Heart of a Dog”; Coetzee, from Disgrace; Edith Wharton, “Kerfol”; literature on Guide Dogs; Donna Haraway, from The Companion Species: Dogs, People, and Significant Otherness; Eileen Myles, from Afterglow: A Dog Memoir; Laurie Anderson, dir., Heart of a Dog; Kelly Reichardt, dir., Wendy and Lucy; Manuela Rossini, “To the Dogs: Companion Speciesism and the New Feminist Materialism.”

Knowledge

Upon completing this course a student:

- is familiar with different conceptions of animals in the US culture,

- uses terminology connected with animal studies,

- comprehends how race and gender impact our understanding of animals and human-animal relations,

- is aware of how speciesm impacts society,

- acquires vocabulary to make critical arguments in regards to animal.

Skills

Upon completing this course a student:

- formulates critical arguments on topics related to animals, human-animal interactions, anthropocentrism and the ways in which humans use non-human animals,

- is able to synthesize information,

- has the skills to use animal studies in analysis of U.S. culture,

- is able to critically engage with literature, critical texts, and film on animals,

- is able to communicate ideas and theories effectively orally and in writing in a manner appropriate to the intended audience.

Competences

Upon completing this course a student:

- comprehends academic texts and is able to use them in the critical analysis of culture,

- is able to identify speciest content,

- is able to actively participate in class discussions,

- collects and analyzes information effectively.

Students need minimum of 60% to pass the course.

Students are required to attend classes, read/watch assigned materials and participate in class discussions.

Discussion questions: 20 points (each student will be asked to prepare discussion questions on a given text/movie).

Final paper: 30 points

Three response papers: 30 points (each response is worth 10 points)

Participation and attendance: 20 points

Grading scale:

100-97 5!

96-91 5

90-84 4+

83-78 4

77-68 3+

67-60 3

59-0 2