COURSE DESCRIPTION

Moby-Dick is the Great American Novel. It celebrates democracy and individualism, while warning of their dangers. It documents heroic possibilities of the frontier being undermined by industrial capitalism. More broadly, it harnesses the American spirit of unbounded thought to open up inquiries into great philosophical questions: Is there a God immanent in the natural world; is such a God benign or malignant; can society be based in civilized order and brotherly love, or is it inevitably cannibalistic; etc. Reflecting on its own limitless wonder and curiosity, it also projects the idea of Immensity itself as the essence of American experience—for better or worse. In our discussion-based class, we’ll explore these aspects of the novel, as well as its linguistic and formal originality. But because we’ll focus on Melville’s critique of American culture, which is highly nuanced in Moby-Dick, we’ll begin with two short stories that spell out some sources of his dissatisfaction: “Bartleby the Scrivener” and “Benito Cereno.”

COURSE LEADER
John Kucich is Distinguished Professor of English Emeritus at Rutgers University. He is a specialist in British nineteenth-century fiction, the literature of Empire, and narrative theory.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Please note: This Evergreen Forum course offers a in-person experience only which means it will not be recorded. Any general questions or concerns about this event should be directed to CMAP at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by calling 609-751-9699.

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