COML0510 - National Epics

Nationalism, even in our globally-connected world, is making a comeback. And each one of us, and our families before us, have been affected by the particular traditions of nations, and rivalries between them. This course considers how texts become “national epics,” how they “represent” a nation. Times change, nations change, and old poems may no longer serve. Can the Song of Roland, once compulsory study for all French schoolchildren, and children in French colonies, still be required reading today — especially if I am French Muslim? What about El Cid in Spain? How do some texts — such as the Mahabharata in India, or Journey to the West in China — seem more adaptable than others? The course begins in western Europe, then pivots across Eurasia (Russia, Mongolia) to end with China, Vietnam, Korea, and the Philippines. All of us have complex family histories-- Chinese-American, French Canadian, Latino/a/x, Jewish American, Pennsylvania Dutch—and all are rewarding to investigate. Some students choose to research, for their final project, the “epic” of their own family histories; talking with grandparents is a good way to start.