Beast in the Jungle
The Beast in the Jungle In this course we will explore some literary texts in which the practice of exploration itself yields a complex confrontation with, and often breakdown of, identity and will. Westerners’ longing to separate themselves from home and make contact with a foreign “other” arises from the high purposes that set imperial adventures in motion in the first place. Readings will include Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Forster’s Passage to India, Waugh’s Handful of Dust, Bowles’ Sheltering Sky, Stone’s/ Dog Soldiers/, Duras’ The Lover, Greene’s A Burnt-Out Case.
This class was amazing. Robert Cohen is extremely knowledgable and enuthusiastic about the material which makes the class develop those same attitudes. There is a lot of reading but less work in class- only discussions which are very interesting and eye-opening. Expect a lot of essays but Cohen is a very fair grader. Everyone should take a class with Cohen at some point at Middlebury!
This class was amazing. Robert Cohen is extremely knowledgable and enuthusiastic about the material which makes the class develop those same attitudes. There is a lot of reading but less work in class- only discussions which are very interesting and eye-opening. Expect a lot of essays but Cohen is a very fair grader. Everyone should …Read more
The Beast in the Jungle is a hard, interactive seminar that focuses on challenging books that speak about the mind and the human experience. Constant reading is required as you have to read a book a week. 3 essays are required throughout the course and graded fairly but hardly. Overall the course is worth it, but be ready to read.
This was an amazing seminar, the reading is constant with a new book to read every week, but the quality of the literature and the high level discussions every class make the experience very rewarding. Professor Cohen is extremely insightful and facilitates discussion very well, this course was a great experience.