ENGL 436 - Law and Literature

3 Credit(s) | Lecture |
Course can be counted for credit once

Description:
This class will introduce students to the similarities between factual legal cases and fictional narratives. Consider the elements of a stirring trial: an emotional witness, a confrontational cross-examination, and a dramatic summation. Now, consider the elements of a gripping novel: a multi-faceted character, a tension-filled conflict, and a compelling climax. How does law and literature “tell a good story” about human experience? Can the law create fiction and the novel create truth? Does literature shape our understanding of legal issues? This course will address these issues by examining novels from the 18th through 20th centuries, historical court records from England and America, Supreme Court case materials, and popular representations of the law in film and on TV.

Enrollment Requirements:
Prerequisite: ENGL 200 or ENGL 201 or ENGL 202

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