Week Five: Privilege as a Position

Reading Assignment:  This week we are reading a fairly short novel from the early years of this millenium, Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo, first published in 2003. Be prepared for a certain challenge because the author is asking you to read a story that does not have an easily relatable central character with whom you are not asked to bond emotionally but to observe over the course of a day. Whether you like the character or the book is really not the point here, but rather what you make of it as an experience and how articulate you can be about the experience when communicating with others. Abandon the continuum of like/dislike, observe the observer.  Remember this text is not an attempt at recreating in some way "real" life. It is a story, intentionally and rather substantially, contrived. Can we discuss it without judgement or reference to our prejudices? 

Writing Assignment:  I have curated this class to bring certain works to your attention. I have chosen this work to open up questions of privilege. When you write your response you might talk about whether or not the work addresses issues of privilege,  does it do so effectively or tangentially? What does it appear to say about issues of privilege. 

In Class: In class we will watch the movie 2012 version of the book which was directed by David Cronenberg and stars Robert Pattinson.  Our discussion is a joint investigation, I haven't taught the book before, and like you, have read it once.