ENG3401: Law through Literature Spring 2015

This course will allow us to thoroughly examine literature and films that focus on the often unbalanced scales of justice—especially as they relate to women and various ethnic groups. Together, we are going to examine the jury, the trial, the legal process, and the effects of judgment—or lack thereof. We will look at historically impacting cases, the development or dismantling of established laws, as well as the current status of these socially relevant issues. Using philosophy, specifically pragmatic precepts, we will also place the intentions of laws alongside their actual results, and see who benefits from the oppressive hand of injustice and, more importantly, who fails.
This course is both reading and writing intensive. As such, to make sure we are processing the classroom discussions, we will have several exams on the essays, novels, and films we scrutinize together. Each of us will be responsible for multiple short essay papers and student briefs that will require online and/or library research, and there will also be a major style manual research paper (MLA or Chicago) assigned that will require each of us to review and outline lessons learned throughout the entire semester; as such, constant note taking is not only strongly encouraged but required.
Keep in mind that this class requires the ability to engage in mature conversations, as we will talk openly about racism, religion, family, sexism, sex, Class, culture, poverty, and politics.