Topic: Savages, Cannibals, and Headhunters: Representations of the Racial "Other"

Certain images and stereotypes of Africans, Native Americans, Asians, etc. appear very
frequently in European and American culture.  Non-white peoples are portrayed as either noble
savages or bloodthirsty barbarians, loyal sidekicks or man-eating monsters (and sometimes all of
these at once). This course will take such stereotypes as our objects of study. Through readings,
writing assignments, and class discussions we will address the questions:  Why do white cultures
continually use these stereotypes? And what are the motives and contexts behind them?  Our
studies will take us through a diverse collection of texts.  We will watch several films and TV
shows, possibly including some of the many Tarzan movies, Walt Disney's _Pocahontas_, _The
Last of the Mohicans_, _Apocalypse Now_, _Gilligan's Island_, and _The Lone Ranger_.   We
will look at comic books and strips, advertisements, and other objects from popular culture. We
will read Shakespeare's _The Tempest_, Conrad's _Heart of Darkness_, poems by Rudyard
Kipling, and letters and logbooks from Columbus and other explorers. And we will read critical
and theoretical essays -- especially responses from people of color -- that will help us make sense
of all these images.