"Call me Ishmal"--even if you haven't read MOBY-DICK, you likely know it's opening line. MOBY-DICK is repeatedly listed among the great American novels (if not THE great American novel) and has been adapted in numerous media and has been referenced across popular culture.

This seminar will consist of two main parts: in the first half (or, rather, two thirds) of the semester, we will dive into MOBY-DICK; in the final part of the semester, we will explore the continued presence of MOBY-DICK (and Moby Dick) in post-World War II (popular) culture. Accordingly, we will discuss various adaptations and dissect various cultural artifacts in which MOBY-DICK and/or Moby Dick play(s) a prominent role.

This seminar will be online. It will alternate between asynchronous assignments (in particular in the first few weeks) and live meetings (where students, however, will have the option to participate asynchronously instead of live, as well).

Tentative Schedule:

Week 1: Seminar Overview (pre-recorded video)
Weeks 2-4: Reading weeks (i.e., read MOBY-DICK; no meetings, but there will be a variety of online tasks)
Week 5: The American Whaling Industry in the Nineteenth Century
Week 6: MOBY-DICK and America
Week 7: (American) Romanticism
Week 8: Down the Belly of the Whale
Week 9: Energy and the Deep Blue Sea
Weeks 10-13: I'll provide a selection of adaptations (films, comics, novels, etc.) we could discuss; students will decide which ones we will, in fact, discuss
Week 14: Wrap-Up