The Experience

We begin.

In this section of the course, we will look at three different images of Hell:  world war, the Holocaust, and existential Angst.

My goal is two fold:  I want to acquaint you with some compelling experiences that we associate with Hell.  Because this is a social science seminar, I also want to think about a complex term which, at first glance doesn’t seem like it should be complex at all: description. What do we mean when we describe something?  Why do people disagree over an exercise that seems so simple?

From this point onward, I want you to devour all of the readings on this syllabus.  In addition to the required books, please remember to bring copies of each of the assigned readings marked “Print” as well as hand-outs to class.

1. Tuesday, January 17

Discussion Topic:  Why is Hell a significant part of our daily lives?  Why do we use the term so much?

Today, I will elaborate on my goals and the structure of this course.  I will also conduct a class survey.

Assignment for Thursday.  Think about the following theme.  According to Remarque, war is hell because . . .”  Then,  write one brilliantly introductory sentence which deals with this theme.

After reading the chapters, you should spend at least 20 minutes choosing the best sentence. Imagine that it is the introduction to a paragraph. Your sentence should be typed and double spaced.  All of your assignments in this seminar should adhere to these rules.

 

 IMAGE ONE

WORLD WAR I:  “War is hell . . .”

2. Thursday, January 19

Discussion Topic:  What is Hell?  It depends on whom you ask.  If we put the Catholic Church and Erich Maria Remarque in the same room, will they get along?

  • “Hell” according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church: PRINT AND READ
  • Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front (chapters 1-6)  Not: I have attached a link to every name which is highlighted, such as Remarque’s

Today’s goal is to start familiarizing ourselves with the terrain of Hell.  Everything we do from now on will relate to later parts of the course.  Imagine yourself as a collector, picking up different visions of Hell and trying to discern what they are about.  Remarque presents us with an image.  So does the Catholic Church

Recurring  Semester Theme:  “The Break-up of the Middle East, Syria, Iraq, and ISIS, the Coming wars over Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, and what role the US will play. ”

Assignment for Tuesday: Take the sentence you have generated for today’s class and use it–or some modified version of it–as the introduction to a brilliant (and complete) four sentence paragraph.  Please spend lots of time making this paragraph the best one you can imagine writing (though not perfect).

3. Tuesday, January 24:

Discussion Topic:

  • Finish reading Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Lewis Milestone, “All Quiet on the Western Front.”  I will show a short segment of the film in class. I will use the scene in which Paul Baümer finds himself face-to-face with his “enemy” in the trench.  Prepare for this Oscar Award-winning film by reading HERE

4. Thursday, January 26:

Discussion:  Great Writing, Persuasive Criticism

George Orwell is one of the best stylists in the English language.  His works are deceptively easy to read.  Most people cannot write like this.  I want you to try.

Readings from George Orwell

  • “Why I write”  PRINT AND READ
  • Famous facsimile (handout)
  • Mystery Facsimile (handout)
  • “Politics and the English Language” PRINT AND READ

5. Tuesday, January 31:

An Excursus into the past.  From the Twentieth Century to the Fourteenth Century and back.  Our goal in today’s meeting is to understand how different depictions of Hell reflect the period and the circumstances in which they are created.

We will meet in the Special Collections Room of Hesburgh Library.  Notre Dame is a powerhouse in Italian studies and has one of the finest collections of Dante’s Divine Comedy.  Tracy Bergstrom, the library’s expert on this collection, will introduce us to visual depictions of Dante’s Inferno.

Before we meet, read the following three Cantos closely.  The better you understand these Cantos, the easier it will be for you to interpret the artistic depictions we see.  For background, read through the short section from Turner’s History of Hell and browse the Dante site.

READ: Is Hell Real? If it’s not, why would a smart guy like Dante say it was?

 

IMAGE TWO

THE HOLOCAUST:  “A LIVING HELL . . .

6. Thursday, February 2:

Discussion:  What is Wiesel’s depiction of Hell?  And how does his portrayal of the Holocaust differ from those of Remarque and Dante?

Recurrent  Semester Themes:  “What does it mean to single out certain religious and ethnic groups for discriminatory treatment?” “And why should students and faculty at a Catholic university care?”

7. Tuesday, February 7:

Discussion: Based upon your reading of Night and the two lectures by Wiesel below, how would Wiesel expect us to respond to manifestations of Hell on Earth?

  • Complete your reading of Elie Wiesel, Night
  • Elie Wiesel, “Hope, Despair, and Memory,” Nobel Prize Lecture, December 11, 1986 PRINT AND READ
  •  Elie Wiesel, “The Perils of Indifference” READ AND PRINT

8. Thursday, February 9:

First Great Debate:

TOPIC:  “We have a moral obligation to combat evil wherever and whenever it raises its ugly head!”

Debate structure: TBA

Note:  This is a debate!  Not a tea party.  Here is an example of a debate:  “Notre Dame Give up Football?  Ha!”

Be prepared to fight and win, but please leave your weapons at the door!

9. Tuesday. February 14:

Discussion:  More on Great Writing

  • In-class Film: Selections from Leni Riefenstahl’s phantasmagoria, “Triumph of the Will” READ

IMAGE THREE

LIFE ITSELF:  “LIFE IS HELL . . .”

10. Thursday, February 16:

Existentialism, Version I: “A World Without God”

11. Tuesday, February 21:

Existentialism, Version II:  “A World With God”

Your first essay assignment is HERE

 

OMG:  Please leave your technology at home.  This includes electronic devices of any kind, such as laptops, i-Pads, i-Pads2, I-Phones 12, FBI trap-and-trace tools, Kindles, video cameras, or other personal digital devices.

This class is a no-tweet zone!