What is Democracy? A Literary Exploration
Sandra M. Gustafson
"Democracy" is constantly referred to today by people on every side of our most urgent political debates. Yet the meaning of "democracy" is far from clear. Already in ancient Greece , "democracy" had multiple meanings. It might refer to "the rule of the citizens"-who were propertied white men-or to "the rule of the poor." Over the last two centuries "democracy" has evolved a range of political, economic, and social meanings. These include representative and participatory forms of political action, economic egalitarianism, and equality regardless of gender, race, or class. The sources of democracy are equally varied. It is sometimes claimed to have originated in ancient Athens, while at other times it is supposed to reflect a prehistorical order best exemplified in "savage" societies, or to have psychic roots in the infant before full socialization. Because of its rich range of meanings, democracy is usefully illuminated by works of literature. In this course we will read a small number of literary works by U.S. writers that illuminate the meanings of modern "democracy," including poetry and fiction by Walt Whitman, William Wells Brown, Henry Adams, and Susan Sontag.
It was a great seminar. Professor Gustafson was an excellent teacher, the books were well selected and the class was very stimulating.
I expected to be challenged to think, to have thought-provoking discussion and to be led by a top-notch professor. All expectations were met!
I liked how different teaching approaches were used to link the topic with democracy.
Dr. Gustafson asked engaging questions and I felt encouraged to respond and be a part of the bigger and smaller discussion groups.
I love the discussion.
| Sandra M. Gustafson is an Associate Professor of English. She has held a variety of fellowships and grants, including a postdoctoral fellowship at the Omohundro Institute for Early American History and Culture and, most recently, an NEH fellowship. She is a member of the Advisory Board for the History of the Book program at the American Antiquarian Society, where she recently hosted a conference on "Histories of Print, Manuscript, and Performance in America" and gave a keynote address entitled "The Emerging Media of Early America." She has published on a variety of authors and topics in early American literature and culture. Her first book, Eloquence is Power: Oratory and Performance in Early America, explores the significance of religious and political oratory in colonial British North America and the early republic. Currently she is working on a book on culture and democracy in the antebellum United States. |