Death and the Emergence of the Modern Self

Comparative examination of how "death" informs the modern self. Looks at the tension between the religious death and secular death. Probes the role played by the Jewish experience of the 20th century in shaping post WWII self. Comparison with notions of death and the self in the Middle East and East Asia. Focuses on cultural representations of death (particularly literary, cinematic and artistic), but sociological, anthropological and political perspectives will also be considered. Instructor: Ginsburg