FYS 124 Meaning and Morality in Fiction

Have you ever been captivated by a book or movie? This seminar explores the complex nature of enjoyment of fiction, including such paradoxes as being moved by fictional entities we do not even believe to exist and deriving pleasure from fiction that scares or saddens us. Students compare their engagement with fiction to childhood games of make-believe, and ask whether a work's moral failings are grounds for condemning its aesthetic value.

Instructor

Gilligan