Themes in Literature: Literature (Taylor’s Version)

What does it mean to live The Life of a Showgirl? This question is central to Taylor Swift’s upcoming album and will be the guiding question for this class. We will explore different facets of being in the public eye like: What is the toll of fame and public scrutiny? How does the glitz and glam of a public persona bleed into one’s private life behind the curtains? What are the costs of artistic endeavors that require a performance of the personal? Throughout the class, we will work to answer these questions by drawing connections between Swift’s discography and novels like F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, Toni Morrison’s Jazz, and poems from Sylvia Plath. While focusing on a range of people like pop stars, poets, and socialites, our texts for the semester all consider what a “promise to be dazzling” costs. Assignments in the class will include three short papers, in-class presentations, and informal writing assignments like a reading journal and in-class prompts. Through these assignments, we will improve our ability to discuss texts using literary terms as well as craft interesting questions and compelling interpretations supported by textual evidence, all of which will hone your critical thinking and analytical skills.