ENGL 194 A-Z - Special Topics: Junior/Senior Seminar

Semester Hours: 3-4

Current Special Topics:

ENGL 194E - This Is the End: Literature and the Apocalypse

Judgment day, zombie apocalypse, nuclear and cyber war, global pandemic, alien invasion, environmental collapse, meteor collision, machine uprising: all of these represent the various ways in which humanity has, over the course of history, imagined “the end” of its existence. Whether by our own agency, by the hand of some unseen, uncontrollable force, or some combination of the two, we have always contemplated the end of things, often in a religious or spiritual context but, just as often, as a routine part of our collective desire to be entertained by such shocking and horrific events. That desire is manifested in many films, such as A Quiet Place, I Am Legend, World War Z, 28 Days Later, Hunger Games, and of course, the Matrix, Mad Max, Terminator, and Planet of the Apes series. There is even the so-called apocalyptic comedy: This Is the End, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, The World’s End, Warm Bodies, and Zombieland. Television, as well, has taken up various apocalyptic themes and narratives, including The Last of Us, The Walking Dead, Fallout, Sweet Tooth, and Snowpiercer. What exactly compels us to watch such apocalyptic fare? Why are we drawn to narratives depicting the end of humanity and the world as we know it? And why do we find such narratives to be “entertaining” in any sense? This semester, we will seek to answer some of these questions, and perhaps generate a few of our own, by reading and discussing literary works that speak to our enduring preoccupation with the apocalypse and its aftermath, including H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds, Nevil Chute’s On the Beach, Daniel Defoe’s A Journal of the Plague Year, Jenny Offill’s Weather, and Lucretius’ On the Nature of Things. In addition, we will read a variety of poetry, as well as apocalyptic and prophetic literature from the Bible.

 

Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
WSC 001 . Required course for English majors  in the Literatures in English concentration. May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.  As individual subjects are selected, each is assigned a letter (A-Z) which is affixed to the course number. Specific titles and course descriptions for special topics courses are available in the online class schedule. (Formerly Junior/Senior Seminar.)

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Summer Session I 2026

Summer Session II 2026

Summer Session III 2026

Fall 2026