Department of English

     Moby-Dick is a world classic.  It will be the focal point of
the seminar.  The book will be read carefully as an example of
literary art, as a case study in how to study literature, as a
document in American culture, and as a work that raises questions
that sensitive thinkers have been pursuing since the beginning of
civilization.  Other Melville works closely related to Moby-Dick
will also be studied (such as Typee, White-Jacket, and selected
short fiction and verse).  Melville's sources in folklore,
popular culture, art, literature, and his own life will also be
considered.  A term paper based on a topic selected by the
student but approved and individually directed by the instructor
will be required.