Literature and culture today: The American Nightmare: Contemporary television series and negative affects 2510-f1ENG3S-LCT-AN

The affective turn in the humanities places emphasis on feelings and emotions analyzed from a perspective that is interdisciplinary and multifaceted, drawing upon feminist and queer approaches as well as trauma studies in particular. In the course of the seminar, the students will read and discuss selected introductory texts from the field of affect studies as well as attempt to apply them in analysis and interpretation of contemporary US-American television series. The television series selected for analysis will be placed in their socio-historical context. The students will learn about television influenced by, among others, recession, post-racial approaches, and the first Trump presidency. Analysis will take the American Dream and its contemporary subversions as its starting point.
Selected material will span 1990s (golden age of American television) to 2020s. Analyzed series will include e.g. Twin Peaks, The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Sopranos, The Wire, Veronica Mars, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Good Fight, Evil, American Horror Story and others (depending on student interests and availability).