Exploring Intersections of Legal Theory and Literary Texts
This course delves into the rich intersections between law and literature, exploring how literary texts engage with legal concepts and how legal theory is informed by narrative, metaphor, and cultural representations. Through a multidisciplinary lens, students will critically analyze literary works alongside key legal texts and theoretical frameworks.
The course begins by examining foundational theories of law and literature, tracing the historical development of this interdisciplinary field. Students will then explore thematic connections such as justice, authority, power, ethics, and identity through close readings of selected texts. Literary works from various genres and historical periods will be paired with legal case studies, theoretical essays, and philosophical inquiries to facilitate nuanced discussions and analytical insights.
We will begin by examining foundational theories of law and literature, tracing the historical development of this interdisciplinary field and exploring some of the questions and criticisms that scholars have recently raised as they have sought to justify or reorient the field. With these theoretical frameworks in place, we will next critically analyze literary works and legal texts, emphasizing developing critical thinking skills, honing close reading abilities, and engaging in interdisciplinary inquiry.
Throughout the course, students will engage in seminar-style discussions, participate in collaborative projects, and finish by producing and presenting analytical essays that demonstrate a deep understanding of the complex interplay between law and literature. By exploring how literature reflects, critiques, and shapes legal norms and practices, this course aims to foster a nuanced understanding of law as a cultural and social phenomenon, inviting students to interrogate the boundaries between fact and fiction, legality and justice, and text and context.
Course requirements include a short review (10 pages) of key law-and-literature theoretical texts and a final paper (25-35 pages) for presentation in class.
Haynes, Kevin V. 