How To Be Alone: Solitude and Subjectivity

In this class, we’ll discuss why the state of being alone has been a central topic in cultural studies, what it means to address and represent different modes of solitude, and how these representations support or contradict the politics of their surrounding environments. This class will introduce its students to a broad range of texts read alongside classical and contemporary philosophy, and discusses the personal and political ramifications of autonomy, solitude, exclusion and seclusion. In addition to novels and films, materials will include on-demand television, Instagram posts, Reddit posts, TikToks and tweets.