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Course Info for FREN - 265 - 90, January 2026
Class number: 1023 Title: What Can Literature Do? Department: Language and Culture Studies
Career: Undergraduate Component: Seminar Session: Regular
Instructor's Permission Required: No Grading Basis: Regular Units: 0.50
Enrollment limited to 14 Current enrollment: 3 Available seats: 11
Start date: Monday, January 5, 2026 End date: Friday, January 16, 2026 Mode of Instruction: Remote
Schedule: MTWR: 9:00AM-11:30AM, N/A Instructor(s): Bouchakour, Walid
Prerequisite(s): None
Distribution Requirement: Meets Humanities and Global Requirements
Course Description:
In this course, we will explore the revolutionary potential of literature and art. Our examples will come from the struggles for decolonization, anti-racism, and democracy. How can the written word effect social change or even transform the world? We will read poetry, fictions, songs, manifestos, and essays to examine the various forms and strategies writers use to be “political.” The course will also consider how film and other artistic media document and inspire major social transformations. Students will contribute their own examples of politically engaged works to class discussions. For the final project, they may either write a 3–5-page reflection on a cultural work or create an original piece that engages with a social issue of their choice.