Man, Woman, and Animal

For a long time, the “better” human has been defined against what has been considered “inferior”: the animal. When it came to proving the superiority of either masculinity, whiteness, or both, the animal long had to serve as the “naturally” inferior counterpart. By engaging with world literature, this course will explore the relationship between “humanity” and “animality” in three ways. First, historically: what are traditional arguments for a clear human-animal divide, and what are some of the ways it has been instrumentalized for claims about sex, race, or class? Second, we will explore the roles the animalization of gender (and race and class) still play out in contemporary culture. Do we still assume that either men or women are “closer” to the animal? Third, we will explore new ways of seeing ourselves as humans in light of recent reevaluations of what an animal is. Are there ways to relate to animality that are non-projecting and non-objectifying? And in which way can the arts and literature facilitate an authentic encounter between “man,” “woman,” and “animal”

Satisfies General Education Requirements:

• Group-Satisfying: Arts and Letters
• Multicultural Courses: Identity, Pluralism, and Tolerance (IP)