TI 223-EN - Disability in American Lit

Min Units: 3
Max Units: 3
Stereotypical depictions of the disabled figure appear throughout American Literature. Whether the monstrous “other,” or romanticized, tragic heroine, portrayals of disability are designed to elicit fear, pity, and Occasionallyly awe in readers. However, works by artists with disabilities tend to challenge these depictions in content and form in unconventional and radical ways. In this course, we will use disability studies theory to analyze how representations of impairment and difference reflect and reinforce American cultural expectations of normality and ability; however, we will also move beyond examination of disabled characters and disability tropes to consider how literary texts depend on disability to generate meaning. How does the inclusion of disability shape narrative? In what ways has disability shaped a modern aesthetic? How does the presence of disability in literary texts intersect with ideas about race, gender, and class? We will engage with a variety of texts to discuss how writers draw attention to inclusivity, access, and social justice. (U) Fall, Spring