Narratives of Addiction - Einzelansicht

Addiction haunts many texts of the 19th and 20th century. From Christina Rossetti to Barbara Kingsolver, narratives of addiction can be understood in the context of broader cultural negotiations, which raise questions of sensuality, existentialism and (literary) genius. This course will look at how addiction is portrayed in novels, short stories and poetry, but also in the media, as well as song and other art forms and ask how addiction affects the narrative. For this, we will rely on literary and cultural theory. We will discuss narrative techniques and social and cultural narratives that grapple with mostly substance-based addiction.

Please obtain a copy of Barbara Kingsolver Demon Copperhead and Roddy Doyle's The Woman Who Walked into Doors. Further reading will be announced at the beginning of term.

Academic Essay