Refugee Stories
Refugee Stories “Stories are just things we fabricate,” says a character in Viet Nguyen’s The Refugees. “We search for them in a world besides our own, then leave them here to be found, garments shed by ghosts.” In this course students will find stories by and about a paradigmatic modern figure: the displaced refugee seeking asylum in unfamiliar lands. Highlighting literary and visual representations, we will also draw from history, sociology, anthropology, environmental studies, and feminist critique. Beginning with the Syrian refugee crisis, we will circle back to the Vietnam War and the lingering questions it poses to today’s social justice movement.
Refugee Stories “Stories are just things we fabricate,” says a character in Viet Nguyen’s The Refugees. “We search for them in a world besides our own, then leave them here to be found, garments shed by ghosts.” In this course students will find stories by and about a paradigmatic modern figure: the displaced refugee seeking asylum in unfamiliar lands. Highlighting literary and visual representations, we will also draw from history, sociology, anthropology, environmental studies, and feminist critique. Beginning with the Syrian refugee crisis, we will circle back to the Vietnam War and the lin …Read more
I really enjoyed this class. The professor was very understanding and made the course stress-free while still keeping it meaningful. There wasn’t a heavy workload, but the few readings we did have were thoughtfully chosen and very engaging. Each one connected well to the class discussions and gave me something to think about. The professor cared about students’ well-being and made sure we understood the material without feeling overwhelmed. Overall, it was a relaxed and rewarding learning experience one of the most balanced and enjoyable classes I’ve taken.
I really enjoyed this class. The professor was very understanding and made the course stress-free while still keeping it meaningful. There wasn’t a heavy workload, but the few readings we did have were thoughtfully chosen and very engaging. Each one connected well to the class discussions and gave me something to think about. The pro …Read more
Professor Graves is a great professor and creates a great environment in the classroom that allows everyone to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and takeaways from the readings. The workload is light, but you definitely still learn a lot. Graves enthusiasm for the class is a major plus.
I wholeheartedly recommend enrolling in a class with Professor Ben Graves – it was an exceptional experience that deserves a perfect 10/10 rating! He's very laid back but he fosters an environment that allows every student to succeed in this very thought-provoking class!
Professor Graves is a wonderful professor that is not only very well-versed in the course content, but very passionate about it too. He is an extremely empathetic and understanding professor, so do your best in the class and you will be successful! (participate, do the readings, go to office hours for essays).
Refugee stories is a great introduction to a humanities course at Middlebury. While readings are assigned for each class, they are typically manageable and interesting, being a wide range from graphic novels to academic journals. Discussions can get tedious, but Prof. Graves does a good job switching up class format to prevent this. Overall, I've had a great experience.
Professor Graves is very chill and very easy to connect to. The class mostly consist of readings and discussions with a total of three papers throughout the semester but all in all it is a very fun and intriguing class