EN 172.01 The City in Literature and Film (Fall 2008-2009: 3)

We examine how American literature and film have responded to the challenge of representing the city--from Sister Carrie to Blade Runner, The Street to Do the Right Thing, Native Speaker to Gangs of New York. Exploring the fit between the hard facts of city life and the creative choices that artists impose on them, we consider how novels and movies reckon with the formal, social, and conceptual problems posed by cities. We touch upon several cities and various genres: migration narratives, crime stories, science fiction, neighborhood novels, and more.
Carlo Rotella

Last Updated: 23-JAN-08