English 101 Section A12. Writing About The Charismatic Self: Delight, Deceit, Deliverance
What is charisma? Does it rely solely on a human presence? How can it be/Can it be represented in fiction and film? Instead of thinking about “reality” and illusion as opposites, what about thinking of each feeding and sustaining the other? Can writing itself be described as a charismatic act? How can we be both seduced by art (action/participation/self-hypnosis) and then distance overselves enough (reflection/analysis/interpretation) to examine it, be suspicious of how it works its effects on us? And is this seduction/suspicion perilous equilibrium part of what the liberal arts as an approach is all about? These are some of the questions we will examine in student-run weekly panels and 5-page papers throughout the semester.
We will explore various works that may include The Great Gatsby, Toni Morrison’s Sula, the films, Anderson’s “The Master” and Hitchcock’s “Vertigo,” Joan Didion’s Democracy, Paul Auster’s Leviathan, Don DeLillo’s Mao II, John Fowles’ “The Ebony Tower” and other novels and films.
Samuel Coale