RSNST-230 Boyz II (Superfluous) Men: Emotional Immaturity in Central and Eastern European Literature
Emotionally immature men who don’t want to grow up seem to pop up everywhere, from stand-up comedy to Hollywood movies, from TikTok videos to “serious” literature. Men, boyfriends, husbands, fathers who go about their lives never taking responsibility for their actions. They are often surrounded by women who in turn have to take on the lion’s share of the mental and emotional work. What hides behind this strongly gendered paradigm? Where does it come from? Is it helpful or misleading to think in those terms? In this course, we will use examples from Central and Eastern European literature to answer these questions and sketch a profile of the emotionally immature, “superfluous” man as well as the plots and tropes that surround him.
Standard Course (40)
Credits
1
Notes
All readings in English.