Myth, Belief, and Reality in World Literature

Myth, Belief, and Reality in World Literature is a Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies course taught by McKinley Melton.

This course satisfies Division I requirements.

Course Description
What does it take for a myth to become a widely-held belief? At what point does that belief become reality? This course will engage these questions by examining literature from different time periods representing various cultures throughout the world. Furthermore, we will consider the role of mythology, legend, and popular lore in defining a culture as well as the people within it, shaping societal views on everything from gender, race, and class to religious beliefs and family dynamics. Throughout the semester, as we focus on novels, short stories, and drama, we will also discuss the manner by which writers have represented the belief systems that undergird the communities in their literature. With the literature as our guide, we will seek greater understanding of the construction of not only other cultures, but also our own.

Learning Goals

 * Multi-Cultural
 * Presenting
 * Reading
 * Writing