Department of American Studies

Nothing is more fundamental to American identity than the idea of freedom, but captivity also dominates our national imagination. What does captivity tell us about our collective dreams and fears?

This class explores captivity narratives from the historical to the fantastic -- from Indian boarding schools to UFO abductions -- and the less explicit forms of containment, from living in the closet to waiting for the bomb.

This class is interdisciplinary. We make heavy use of film, ethnography and fiction.